Thousands of residents of Western Canada and the Northwest Territories remain evacuated Thursday as out-of-control wildfires continue to burn.
On the Alberta government website, it says 93 wildfires were active as of midday, with 27 of them considered out of control. Two weeks into evacuation orders in the province, around 12,000 evacuees were still in different communities.
There are over 2,500 responders fighting wildfires in Alberta. The province receives assistance from across Canada, from the Armed Forces and the United States.
On the Northwest Territories side, about 3,500 people from the K’atl’odeeche First Nation and the neighboring community of Hay River were evacuated on Sunday.
The Municipality of Hay River said 896 evacuees had registered to stay in Yellowknife, some 480 kilometers away.
The fire, which was last estimated at nearly 18 square kilometres, is possibly man-made. Fire officials said no damage was reported in Hay River, but 15 buildings were damaged on the reservation.
Mike Westwick, wildfire information manager, described Wednesday’s extremely hot and dry conditions led to greater fire activity, with heavy smoke and ash being pushed towards communities.
He said 11 fire crews, nearly 120 people, as well as numerous helicopters, air tankers and heavy equipment were working to fight the blaze and prevent further damage.
In Saskatchewan, the provincial public safety agency said there were 24 active wildfires in the northern part of the province as of Thursday morning. Some of these fires extend over 1000 square kilometers and most of them are believed to be human-caused.
The provincial agency said it was supporting nearly 1,075 people in Saskatchewan, providing them with food and housing in Lloydminster, North Battleford and Regina.
Bryan Chartrand, the agency’s director of ground operations, said it could be a week before evacuees can return home.
In British Columbia, the City of Fort St John on Wednesday lifted the evacuation alert affecting this community of approximately 21,000 inhabitants.
But more than 1,300 properties in the surrounding area remain under an evacuation order.