More than 24,000 people were under evacuation orders by Saturday evening as 110 active wildfires burned, of which 36 were out of control. After 45 new fires erupted in just under 24 hours, Alberta has declared a provincial state of emergency.
It has been an extremely challenging day, of battling the blaze as additional firefighters has been dispatched in from Quebec and Ontario.
Christie Tucker an information unit manager for Alberta wildfire provincial government services, said that they were fighting strong winds and hot weather, which were intensifying extreme wildfire actively.
It takes a little as a few sparks to ignite truly uncontrollable wildfires said Premier Danielle Smith, Head of Alberta’s ruling United Conservative party. The hot dry spring has resulted in much of the landscape to kindling.
Ms. Smith said that this year 43,000 hectares burned from wildfires. She added that it was highly unusual to witness such a quantity of wild fires so early in the season with one community, fire consumed a police station and 20 homes.
The situation is monitored carefully, with many praying for rain, said Grant Fagerheim, CEO of whitecap, an oil producer in North Western and Central Alberta.
Rapid snow melt due to the extreme heat, has triggered flooding across interior British Columbia. Late last Thursday, 7000 strong populations of Drayton Valley, 140 km west of the provincial capital Edmonton, were given evaluation orders.
Western Canada had been experiencing a cold spring, but the intense onset of unseasonably high temperatures has caused fires and floods. With heavy rains expected across the south of the province, the flooding is forecasted to worsen over the weekend in British Colombia. A flooding warning issued late on Thursday as peek river levels were experienced.
The federal government has offered assistance from Ottawa, as fire fighting helicopters and Air tankers have been brought in.
It is increasingly difficult to quantify the number of people that had to leave their home due to the evacuation, but it is estimated that the number can be more than 20,000. Unfortunately, conditions are not likely to improve in the short term.
