Nearly 25,000 Canadians Evacuated Due to Severe Wildfires

Posted: May 8, 2023 10:53 am

Unseasonably hot weather and strong winds are fueling an early season wildfire in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of late Sunday, nearly 25,000 people had been evacuated from their homes as fires continued to whip up across the region.

Ongoing Hot and Dry Weather Contributing to Fires

According to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, there are over 100 fires burning in the province. Smith blames the hot and dry spring on the recent fire outbreak. So much dryness provides the kindling base needed for fires to spark and spread.

Province officials said that over 301,000 acres have burned since Friday. Nearly 50 fires have started since that time, prompting the issue of 14 local states of emergency. Despite the dire situation, Smith is confident that local officials have the tools and resources needed to keep residents safe.

Some of the worst of the fires are burning in the community of Fox Lakes. Residents had to be rescued using helicopters because the fires were so intense. The area of Drayton Valley has also been hit particularly hard by the wildfires.

The town of Edson had to evacuate its residents after the fires became too close for comfort. In a more populated area, an evacuation was issued for Lac Set.

Anne County, located about 50 miles northwest of Edmonton. Residents were told that the evacuation order could last for as much as three days. Other areas under evacuation notices include Big Lakes County.

Temperatures have been hovering about 10 to 15 degrees above the historical average for the last several weeks throughout much of Alberta. The province of Alberta has been ground zero for the Canadian fires with 348 blazes confirmed since January.

A lack of rain has also contributed to the brown and dry conditions. Despite a number of fire burning restrictions, it has been difficult to prevent the start and spread of wildfires.

British Columbia Also Under the Gun for Wildfires

The northeastern corner of British Columbia on the western edge of the country has also seen an uptick in wildfire activity. The Boundary Lake fire is the latest inferno to trigger evacuations in the province. This fire is located near the border of British Columbia and Alberta, covering nearly 5,000 acres so far.

While airplanes have been dispatched to try to fight the blaze, the heavy smoke has inhibited this response by air. As a result of the deteriorating conditions, officials were forced to expand the initial evacuation order. The area now under evacuation for the Boundary Lake fire includes areas right up to the Alberta border.

The southeastern corner of British Columbia was dealing with a weather threat of another kind this week. A state of local emergency was issued earlier in the week by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary because of flooding danger.

Rising temperatures have created a rapidly melting snowpack, raising the flooding risk to the region.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts