25,000 people evacuated after devastating fires

As close as possible to the risk zone, a few hundred meters from the helicopter, a gigantic column of smoke. On images, we guess a more recent outbreak of fire. All around the pilot, five fires stand out. From a satellite, we can see the outbreaks animated by powerful winds and their ultra-fast propagation. In the province of Alberta (Canada) alone, 110 fires are underway on Sunday May 7, of which a third are out of control, despite the exceptional means deployed to control them.

A hot, dry spring

“The region experienced a hot and dry spring. With so much dry wood, all it takes is sparks to start fires out of control”, explains Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta. A state of emergency has been declared. The fires threaten the oil exploitations and approach dangerously the largest agglomerations. On the night of May 6-7, thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes. “It was scary. I just hope everyone was able to leave”, says a woman. According to one report, 122,000 hectares have burned in Alberta. Other fire outbreaks are taking place in neighboring provinces, notably in British Columbia, where evacuations are underway. In all, 25,000 people have already had to leave their homes.