More than six thousand people, about 15% of the population, were evacuated by military aircraft from remote communities in the Northwest Territories, Canada, threatened by a spate of more than 230 active wildfires.
A spokesman for the Northwest Territories Fire Department said the villages, separated by several hundred miles, were “particularly difficult” to evacuate by land.
Mike Westwick added that a contingent of 120 troops had been deployed on Tuesday to facilitate the airlift.
On the same day, the authorities of the Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency across the region.
Wildfires are raging in Canada’s northwestern areas and may continue to burn at an abnormally high rate for several weeks. Several communities reportedly evacuated as the fires threaten to close highways https://t.co/DygkIGGple pic.twitter.com/STmcirEyVr
– Reuters (@Reuters) August 15, 2023
“We are in a crisis situation and our government is using all the tools at its disposal,” said regional minister of Territorial Environment Shane Thompson, stressing that it allows him “to access and apply resources”.
A state of emergency was already declared on Monday evening in the capital Yellowknife, which is surrounded by four wildfires in the northwest, north and southeast.
Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty warned residents in parts of the capital to prepare for a possible evacuation if the fire, which is currently 12 miles outside the city, continues.
Images uploaded to social media show flames and thick smoke rising from wildfires raging in Canada’s Northwest Territories on Sunday.
Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/0EMmcJs6DL pic.twitter.com/DrHdEjx1oI
– PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) August 16, 2023
At least one hospital in Yellowknife, with a population of about 20,000, has already scaled down operations and transferred patients to other cities in southern Canada.
“It breaks my heart when I think of the people of the NWT [sigla em inglês dos Territórios do Noroeste] fighting devastating wildfires,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
My heart breaks for the people of the Northwest Territories, who are dealing with devastating wildfires. On Saturday, we approved the area’s request for federal aid and @CanadianForces mobilize to provide support – we remain here for you.
– Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 15, 2023
Neighboring British Columbia, the province worst hit by fires this month, has surpassed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this year, the environment ministry told France-Presse news agency on Tuesday.
In the town of Lytton, the temperature rose to 41.4 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season in history, with thousands of fires already prompting more than 200 evacuation orders this year, forcing an estimated 168,000 people to temporarily leave their homes.
The fires emitted the equivalent of more than a billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), an unprecedented record, Canadian authorities said last week.
The value is almost equal to the annual emissions of Japan (1,120 million tons of CO2 in 2021), the fifth largest polluter in the world.
The fires have so far burned 13.5 million hectares, equivalent to the area of Greece, and nearly double the area of the last all-time record, dating back to 1989 at 7.3 million hectares, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Since May, Canada received help from about 5,000 firefighters from 12 countries, including Portugal, in June.
Source: DN
