Canada has sent the military to help the western province of Alberta fight fires that have burned more than 410,000 hectares, an unprecedented situation. "The Canadian Forces will assist firefighters and provide air transportation, assist in the evacuation of isolated communities and protect people," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday on Twitter.
Two days after declaring a state of emergency, Alberta formally requested federal assistance on Monday. "The Canadian Armed Forces will deploy throughout Alberta to support us with clean-up operations and basic firefighting tasks, as well as airlift and technical support," Premier Danielle Smith told reporters.
Some 80 fires still active, including 23 out of control
A few days of cooler weather gave firefighters some respite, reducing the number of active fires and also allowing some residents to return home. Some 80 fires were still active Thursday, 23 of them out of control. Some oil and gas companies were also able to restart their production interrupted for a few days. The Canadian province of Alberta, one of the world's largest oil producers, experienced a hot, dry spring conducive to fires. The vast majority of these fires are man-made.
But according to the weather site Environment Canada, temperatures will rise sharply over the weekend, especially in the center and north. They are expected to be accompanied by thunderstorms, conditions conducive to the outbreak of new fires due to lightning. In recent years, Western Canada has been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events, the intensity and frequency of which are increased by global warming.