“Canada’s Worst Wildfire Season of the 21st Century”

Canada is currently experiencing its “worst wildfire season” since the start of the 21^e century, according to Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, as flames continue to rage from coast to coast and still keep more than 30,000 people from returning home.

As of Monday afternoon, 431 wildfires were still active in Canada, more than 200 of which were considered out of control, according to information provided by the federal government. The area of ​​forest burned since the start of the fire season then amounted to 4.7 million hectares.

“So we can now speak, unfortunately, of the worst forest fire season of the 21^e century in Canada,” said Minister Blair during a press briefing in Ottawa to provide an update on the situation.

Across the country, about 5,000 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the fires that continue to challenge crews on the ground. Hundreds more firefighters from the United States, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain and Portugal are expected to arrive in the coming days.

The international reinforcements had a real beneficial effect in Quebec, where thousands of people were able to start returning to their homes on Monday, as firefighters were able to prevent the flames from approaching the communities.

But the situation is not so cheerful across the country. Nearly 32,000 people who have been evacuated in the past few weeks still could not return home on Monday due to the threat posed by the fires.

More reinforcements in Alberta

In Alberta, crews were still busy Monday trying to control the massive fire that forced the evacuation of 8,400 people in the town of Edson, west of Edmonton, Friday night. For residents of this small town, it was the second evacuation in just a few weeks due to the fires.

Edson Mayor Kevin Zahara said the fire was still less than a mile from the southern edge of his town on Monday.

“If the fire gets bigger, we won’t have much time to react. It is still very dangerous, ”said Mr. Zahara during a virtual press briefing to explain to his population why the evacuation orders are maintained.

Near Edson, Yellowhead County was also evacuated due to the fires. Several roads and highways remain closed, so citizens should not expect to be able to return home until Wednesday at the earliest.

However, some Edson residents chose to defy evacuation orders and go home anyway. The city’s administrative director, Christine Beveridge, was not happy to hear it.

“If in addition to fighting the fires, our teams have to get people out who have returned to their homes, this makes the situation even more difficult for the responders on the ground, as well as for yourselves”, reiterated M^me Beveridge.

She recalled that several factors must be taken into account before authorizing the return of residents. In particular, municipal authorities must ensure that essential infrastructure is in good condition and that the local hospital is ready to receive patients.

Nearly 500 crews, both on the ground and in the air in helicopters and air tankers, are currently battling the flames near Edson.

The winds are not cooperating in British Columbia

In British Columbia, hundreds of other residences were evacuated in the northeast of the province on Monday, as strong winds rekindled a gigantic fire of 4,660 square kilometers, the second largest ever recorded in the province.

The provincial fire department, however, noted that the winds responsible for the problems near Fort Nelson last weekend also helped firefighters battle another blaze, this time south of Fort Nelson. St John.

More than 80 fires were still active in the province on Monday, including a particularly tenacious 2.5 square kilometer on Vancouver Island, which forced the extension of the closure of Highway 4, the region’s main road link .

Convoys of trucks therefore visit isolated communities twice a day to deliver fuel, food and other essentials, but they have to make a long detour that takes them four hours.

In northern Ontario, the number of active wildfires also increased, from 62 on Sunday to 68 on Monday.

Although some forecasts call for some rain for the next few hours, authorities across the country are warning that the fire season will still be long.

“We are only two and a half months away from a seven-month period that extends until the end of October,” recalled the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services. ‘Alberta, Mike Ellis.

“The summer could be long and very difficult. »