A firefighter tackles a fire in British Columbia, Canada, on June 5. Associated Press/LaPresse (Associated Press/LaPresse)
Wildfires in Canada continue to break records. More than 5.2 million hectares have already been devastated by the flames in the North American country and around 32,000 people still have to be evacuated. Federal authorities report 460 active fires; 235 burns out of control. This Monday, Bill Blair, Secretary of State for Public Safety, pointed out: “Unfortunately, we can now speak of the worst wildfire season of the 21st century in Canada.” If the rains and the change in wind direction affect the outlook in Nova Scotia and some points in While Quebec has improved, and with it an improvement in air quality that has even affected parts of the United States, the rise in thermometers in Alberta and British Columbia has brought new heat.
Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, was in Quebec’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region on Wednesday where he met with military personnel and civilians who have been providing assistance to people affected by the fire. “The challenges have been very great,” he said, “but Canadians always help each other in difficult times,” he added. Trudeau stressed that his administration is preparing new contingency plans for the summer, the time of year when fires are statistically more common.
Some fires are worrying because of their enormous extent. The area of Donnie Creek in northeastern British Columbia already exceeds 466,000 hectares; nearly twice the area of the Vancouver metropolitan area. The blazes threatening Edson (in central Alberta) have destroyed approximately 204,000 acres. Kevin Zahara, mayor of that municipality, declared over the weekend: “This fire is a monster.” In Quebec, the fire, which is affecting the Jamésie area (in the northern region of the province), has a total area of more than 133,000 hectares. This fire is threatening the Nordic Kraft pulp mill, one of the region’s economic engines. In addition to forestry, other sectors in Canada, such as tourism and agriculture, have also been affected by the fire wave.
Around 5,000 Canadian firefighters are battling the blaze. Around 1,100 members of foreign bodies (USA, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and France) have joined the tasks. This Tuesday, 100 Chileans and 42 Costa Ricans arrived in the province of Alberta. In the next few hours, 140 Portuguese and 97 Spaniards are expected to arrive at Jean Lesage Airport in Quebec. Another hundred American firefighters will also join the firefighting operation in the French-speaking province.
University researchers and experts from the Canadian Department of the Environment emphasize that climate change has contributed to the increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires. Trudeau said Wednesday, “We need to be better prepared for the years to come, for the decades to come.” Canada’s prime minister said there was a need to “invest in infrastructure, preparedness and prevention to minimize the impact” of these phenomena . The Canadian economy is already paying for the consequences of the climate crisis. A study by the Parliamentary Head of the Federal Budget published in November found that the impact of climate change led to a 0.8% drop in gross domestic product in 2021. And according to his projections, it could reach 2.4% in 2050.
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