Officials in Canada have warned that the country is on track to experience its most destructive wildfire season on record, as hot and dry conditions are expected to persist through the summer.
After an unusual start to the fire season, fires are currently burning in almost all Canadian provinces and territories. Government officials have said their models indicate an increased risk of wildfires across much of Canada through August.
Michael Norton, an official with Canada’s Ministry of Natural Resources, highlighted the unusual distribution of fires across the country this year. Typically, fires occur on one side of the country at a time, particularly in the west.
However, the current situation is different, with fires spreading from coast to coast. Quebec, in eastern Canada, has been particularly hard hit, experiencing numerous lightning-caused fires. Norton expressed concern over the rate of increase in burned area, saying it could reach record levels if the trend continues.
Wildfires are spreading rapidly across eastern Canada, prompting evacuations from coastal areas in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia and Quebec. In response to emergency forest fire orders, Walbridge Mining Company temporarily evacuated a gold project camp in Quebec and halted exploration activities on its Detour-Fenillon gold trend property.
Yann Boulanger, a researcher with Natural Resources Canada, emphasized the unusual scale of the burned areas seen so early in the season. Such widespread burning has not been seen in the last two decades. Boulanger attributed the trend, at least in part, to climate change, noting a general increase in burned areas across Canada.
As of Sunday, about 3.3 million hectares of land had already been engulfed in wildfires, 13 times the 10-year average. The devastating fires have forced more than 120,000 people to temporarily evacuate their homes. In addition to the loss of property and homes, wildfires have affected oil and gas production in Alberta, the primary crude oil-producing province, and caused air pollution in both Canada and the United States. Wildfires rank as the second costliest disaster in Canada, surpassed only by floods.
Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed sympathy for those affected by the wildfires, recalling the emotional toll and memories of losing homes. Currently, there are 413 active wildfires, of which 249 are considered out of control. About 26,000 people are under evacuation orders across Canada, and the situation is dire for many communities facing the devastating consequences of the ongoing wildfire crisis.