Forest fire season kicks off early in Canada, thousands evacuated

After almost doubling in size during the day on Sunday, the fire, which now covers more than 4,000 hectares, could well hit homes as early as this Monday, May 13, estimates the province's fire department (BCWS). "The next 48 hours will be testing due to forecast westerly winds and extremely dry and volatile fuels in the area," said Ben Boghean of the BCWS, adding that the 70 firefighters responding to the blaze could also be at risk. According to the expert, the "multiple years of drought" that have affected the region and "the little snow received this winter" are the reason behind this uncontrolled advance.

 

In the neighboring province of Alberta, 44 fires are raging, including one in particular located some fifteen kilometers from Fort McMurray, forcing residents to prepare for a possible evacuation. This city in northwestern Alberta, located in the middle of the boreal forest and known for its oil sands operations, had already been ravaged in May 2016, forcing its 90,000 residents to leave the region in a hurry. This fire remains the biggest disaster in Canadian history, with more than 2,500 buildings destroyed and a cost of nearly 10 billion Canadian dollars.