2023-05-07 07:27:31
The western Canadian province of Alberta declared a state of emergency on Saturday following around 100 wildfires broke out there and drove some 25,000 residents from their homes. This is an “unprecedented situation”, announced the premier of the province.
Authorities have asked thousands more to be ready to leave at any time. A total of 110 fires, fanned by strong winds, have been recorded, a third of which are out of control. “We have declared a provincial state of emergency to preserve the safety, health and well-being of Albertans,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said at a press conference.
This Canadian province, one of the largest oil producers in the world, “experienced a hot and dry spring and with so many kindlings, it only takes a few sparks to start really scary fires”, explained Danielle earlier. Smith. All of these factors together “have resulted in the unprecedented situation our province faces today.”
Significant damage
About 122,000 hectares have burned, she said, and 20 localities have been evacuated. The state of emergency gives the provincial government “increased powers to respond to extreme situations,” said Danielle Smith, including the mobilization of additional resources and the release of emergency funds.
Alberta – in the midst of an election – and a large area of the neighboring province of Saskatchewan, as well as a large part of the Northwest Territories are currently facing an extreme risk of fires, according to a map from the federal government. .
Drayton Valley, a town of 7,000 people in Alberta regarding 140 kilometers west of Edmonton, is among the evacuated communities. In Fox Lake, in the north of the province, a violent fire ravaged 20 houses, a store and a police station. Residents were evacuated by boat and helicopter.
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