New reinforcements arrived Wednesday in Alberta, a province in Western Canada, to fight unprecedented fires. However, their numbers have decreased due to cooler weather. A total of 76 forest and brush fires are active in the province compared to 110 a few days ago and 24 are still considered uncontrolled.
Several Canadian provinces, but also nearby US states (Oregon and Alaska), have sent reinforcements to fight the blazes that could regain force at the end of the week with the return of high temperatures, according to authorities.
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"The challenge is to avoid exhaustion," emergency spokeswoman Christie Tucker said Wednesday. "We are very pleased to receive new resources from our colleagues in Canada and the United States. I think it's going to give a much-needed boost to firefighters, some of whom have been working 24 hours a day for a long time," she added.
A majority of man-made fires
The total number of people affected by evacuation orders also decreased, from 29,000 to 24,000. For Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble, it is a relief because his constituents were able to return several days after the evacuation of the entire city. "All residents have been allowed to return and the road has been reopened," he said, relieved but "worried" for the weeks and months ahead. In his city, the worst was avoided even if some homes and a business were burned by the fire. Around the city, smoke continues to emerge from fields and forests. Ash is also ubiquitous.
In the northern part of the province, some Aboriginal villages have been much more affected, such as the community of Little Red River. "There have been huge losses. More than 150 homes have been destroyed or demolished and a number of other facilities such as a seniors' centre," said federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, referring to more than 4,000 evacuees.
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. In recent years, Western Canada has been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events, the intensity and frequency of which are increased by global warming.