fires ravage the west of the country

A gigantic fire: near Lake Parker, in western Canada, the blaze extends over 84 square kilometers. Evacuated last week, the nearest town is threatened: the flames have already swallowed some houses. The fires are affecting a large part of the country: further west, another fire is less than five kilometers from the city of Fort McMurray, already devastated by a forest fire in 2016.

During the day of Tuesday, May 16, 6,000 residents of the southern neighborhoods of Fort McMurray had to evacuate the city, threatened by the fire. A man testifies: “A lot of us were scared and ready to leave. Everyone packed their bag or their car and probably packed faster than in 2016.” Since Monday May 13, strong gusts of wind made the fire unpredictable and prevented firefighters from fighting it on the ground.