Devastating forest fires rage in Canada. More than 120,000 hectares have already burned down, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.
Alberta — The spring in Alberta, Canada, was hot and dry — “and with so much wood, a few sparks are enough to start really scary fires,” provincial chief Danielle Smith said in a news conference. The fire hazard exists in most of the province of Alberta and large parts of the neighboring provinces. In Europe, too, the hot and dry spring resulted in the first forest fires in Spain as early as March.
Fanned by strong winds, the number of forest fires in Alberta has already exceeded 100. According to Smith, 122,000 hectares have burned so far. As a result, more than 20 communities have already had to be evacuated. Around 25,000 people have already fled the forest fires. Thousands more people were called on to prepare for an evacuation.
Country and area: | 122,000 hectares in the province of Alberta in Canada |
Catastrophe: | Hundreds of forest fires |
Consequence: | Already 25,000 people on the run |
Forest fires in Canada: state of emergency and thousands of people fleeing the flames
As a result of the numerous forest fires, the province of Alberta in western Canada has declared a state of emergency, Smith said after an emergency meeting. “We have declared a state of emergency for the province to protect the safety, health and welfare” of residents. This gives the government more options to react. This includes, for example, the mobilization of additional resources and the release of emergency funds. For these reasons, a state of emergency was also declared in Italy last year. Thousands of people are currently fleeing the flames in Canada.
What is a state of emergency?
One speaks of a state of emergency when the general situation deviates from the usual normality. This happens, for example, when the state or internal order are in danger, writes the Federal Agency for Civic Education. In these unusual situations, a state of emergency can be declared. This enables the state to temporarily suspend parts of the constitution and individual basic rights and thus act more quickly.
State of emergency in Canada – Thousands of people have to flee from wildfires in Alberta
Towns that have already been evacuated include Drayton Vallay with a population of 400 and Edson with a population of 8000. The residents were asked to get to safety immediately from the fires. Canadian Disaster Relief Minister Bill Blair said on Twitter that the Ottawa government stands ready to provide federal assistance if needed.
The fires are also dangerous from an economic point of view, because the Canadian province of Alberta is one of the most important oil-producing regions in the world. This is one of the reasons why Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Canada to talk about energy and climate. Since production had to be interrupted in 2016 due to forest fires, Alberta’s fracking companies are monitoring the situation closely.
State of emergency in Alberta, Canada – there have been forest fires and extreme weather for years
For several years now, western Canada has been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events, which are increasing in intensity and frequency as a result of climate change. Last year, for example, severe storms left hundreds of thousands of homes in Canada without electricity.
Climate change is also bringing extreme weather to Europe. France, for example, is already preparing for a fatal drought summer. (kiba/afp)
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