TRENTON (Canada) -- The Canadian government warned Thursday that wildfires will continue to rage throughout the country, with more than 1,000 currently active.
Of the 1,052 fires in Canada, 791 are out of control, said officials from the Natural Resources department.
The wildfires have led to 284 evacuation orders, forcing 232,209 Canadians to leave their homes, reported Anadolu Agency.
As of Wednesday, a record 16.5 million hectares have burned this season. The season runs roughly from about April to the end of September.
That smashes the old record of 7.6 million hectares that burned in 1989. Experts predicted that the burning will continue for some time.
“In September, the latest projections indicate there is the potential for increased wildland fire activity across central Canada, from eastern Alberta into central Ontario,” said Michael Martin, the director general at Natural Resources Canada, as reported by CTV News.
As of Monday, Michael Norton of Natural Resources Canada reported that 5,821 Canadian firefighters and 4,990 international firefighters have battled the flames. At least four firefighters have died since July.
Earlier in the summer, the federal government announced the new Fighting and Managing Wildfires and Changing Climate Programme, which will be funded with CAN$28 million (RM96 million) over five years and be used to finance 1,000 additional community firefighters. -- Bernama-Anadolu, September 8, 2023
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