Western Canada is in a state of emergency due to the escalation of fires

Western Canada declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, July 20, due to the development of fires that are expected to increase in the coming days due to heat and wind.

‘We have reached a critical point’Mike Farnworth, British Columbia’s public safety minister, announced during a press conference. On the advice of those responsible for managing emergencies, forest fires and deteriorating weather conditions, a regional state of emergency has been declared. “

The decision that makes it possible to envisage a mass eviction of the residents of the area and that provides the government with the means to provide housing for the evacuees, as determined by the Minister.

More than 32,000 people are under eviction warningتحذير

More than 5,700 people expressed concern Tuesday about the county’s evacuation order, more than double the previous day, and more than 32,000 people were on alert for evacuation without a firefight commitment.

Please prepare an escape plan for your family.asked Cliff Chapman, BC’s head of fire operations, who said 3,000 km 3000 The squares of land were already burning in smoke. According to him, it is already three times more than the average of the past ten years.

The area is experiencing nearly 300 active wildfires as the weather will remain hot and dry with more winds in the coming days, especially in the province’s interior and southwestern regions on the border with the United States. More than 3,180 firefighters and employees are currently working in the county.

83 major fires destroy the United States

These fires have ravaged western Canada for several weeks now, after an episode of extremely intense heat at the end of June, as a result of global warming for experts. Across the border, the United States is ravaging 83 major fires, some so serious that firefighters compare them to “monsters”.

The Bootleg Fire in Oregon is the most impressive. It’s already larger than Los Angeles, and it continues to grow, fueled by extreme winds and drought.

Even New York City, across the country, was blanketed in a gray, smoky blanket of fires on Tuesday, forcing the city to issue an air quality warning.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint”, Rob Allen, responsible for the area’s fire department, reassured. About 2,250 firefighters take turns trying to put out the flames day and night. “We will stay there as long as it takes to safely contain this monster.”, promise.