Dangerous forest fires in Canada: Evacuations and a state of emergency declared!

Dangerous forest fires in Canada: Evacuations and a state of emergency declared!

Devastating forest fires are blazing in Canada, putting entire regions at risk. There are currently over 120 active fires, around half of which are out of control. The provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia are particularly affected, where authorities have urged the population to seek safety. More than 17,000 people are affected by evacuations in Manitoba alone, and the town of Flin Flon, just 643 kilometers northwest of Winnipeg, has organized the largest evacuation operation in living memory as the flames are just two kilometers from the city. There are 22 active wildfires recorded in Manitoba and the province has declared a state of emergency and requested international assistance. This is reported by zvw.de.

The exceptional conditions, consisting of extreme drought and strong winds, have enormously increased the risk of forest fires. Prime Minister Wab Kinew appealed to citizens to pray for rain, but so far there is no sign of significant rainfall that could help fight the fire. Manitoba's emergency declaration is initially in effect for 30 days and could be extended if necessary. This makes it easier to transport and accommodate the evacuated people. Communications through the Canadian Red Cross are informing evacuees of registration-required accommodation in long-term emergency shelters in Winnipeg set up in arenas and community centers. [Tagesschau.de](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ Amerika/walbraende-kanada-100.html) adds that the forest fire season in Canada lasts from May to September and is becoming more and more extreme due to climate change.

Consequences of climate change

A study by the World Weather Attribution Initiative shows that human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood of extreme fires in Canada between May and June. Yan Boulanger, a research scientist at Natural Resources Canada, highlights that climate change is significantly increasing the flammability of fuels. Canada's worst wildfires to date occurred in 2023, when 14 million hectares were burned and nearly 200,000 people had to be evacuated.

Of particular concern is the fact that researchers expect similar extreme weather conditions could occur every 25 years. The risk of future wildfires increases with global warming, one of the key issues highlighted by Philippe Gachon, a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal. The bottom line is that the public needs to be better prepared for the risks of wildfires and the associated poor air quality in order to develop preventive strategies to reduce the risk. Information on this also comes from Zeit.de.