A wildfire erupted Wednesday on an island off Canada’s west coast in the Pacific Ocean, raising concerns for a small city threatened by the flames, while two other fires approached cities in the east.
اضافة اعلان
Authorities issued warnings for several areas in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island (west), urging the city’s roughly 20,000 residents to prepare for evacuation due to a massive fire 12 kilometers away that consumed over 1,500 hectares in about 36 hours.
“I’ve lived in Port Alberni since 1956, and this is one of the largest fires I’ve ever seen,” said 69-year-old resident Ross Wittas.
Hot and dry weather forecasts for Wednesday and Thursday offered little relief, keeping residents on high alert. “It’s crazy to see how massive the fire is,” noted Ted Haggard, who followed the fire on social media before visiting the site to witness it firsthand.
On the other side of the country, evacuation orders were issued for multiple areas in Saint John, a city of 224,000, due to an approaching fire. Another wildfire broke out near Halifax, home to roughly half a million residents, in Nova Scotia in eastern Canada.
This year marks Canada’s second-worst wildfire season on record, with 7.5 million hectares of forest burned. The record remains 17.3 million hectares in 2023.
As of Wednesday, more than 700 wildfires were active across Canada, 161 of which remained uncontrolled, according to authorities.
Smoke from the fires has affected air quality for tens of millions across North America and even reached Europe. With climate change, Canada is increasingly experiencing extreme weather, with temperatures rising faster than in many other parts of the world.
