Out-of-control wildfires cause evacuations in western Canada
NPR Online NewsMAR 10 2023
As of Saturday morning, at least 103 wildfires were burning across the province of Alberta, Canada, displacing thousands of residents and livestock. According to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, 37 of the wildfires are burning out of control.
In response, authorities have declared a state of emergency, and firefighters from British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario have been deployed to support firefighting operations. As crews battle the wildfires, nearly 30K residents face evacuation orders across western Canada.
Increasingly warm and dry weather is blamed for the fires, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith calling the situation an "unprecedented crisis." While assuring Albertans that the province has the resources to respond, Smith said, "Much of Alberta has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires."
The Canadian government is committed to keeping people safe as the country faces an increased wildfire threat due to the changing climate. Even with dedicated and sufficient resources, wildfires will continue to impact communities. This dedication to addressing the threats of climate change is visible in the 2022 commitment of $516M across the country for fire services training, hiring, equipment purchases for First Nations, and a satellite-based wildfire monitoring system.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are being squandered by the Canadian government completing ill-advised and inadequate fire mitigation measures. The government must immediately put policies and practices into place that combine prescribed fire, Indigenous traditional know-how and technique, and sustainable forestland harvesting to be successful at beating back climate change impacts on wildfires.