Brian McDonald
Thousands of residents of a Canadian city are being urged to evacuate amid a rapidly growing wildfire that has resulted in poor air quality and reduced visibility.
The fire in northeastern British Columbia started on Friday and nearly doubled in size the next day, reaching about 4,200 acres. BC Wildfire Service maps showed the fire burning just a few kilometers west of the Fort Nelson city limits. Fort Nelson is located in the extreme northeast of British Columbia, about 1,600 kilometers from Vancouver. Fort Nelson and the Fort Nelson Indian Reservation have a combined population of about 3,000.
Wildfire smoke from British Columbia is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility, a Sunday Alert he said.
Online images shared by residents of the Fort Nelson bushfire showed thick plumes of smoke billowing high into the sky, with houses in the foreground. In some photos, fog appeared to cover large areas.
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation have issued a joint statement warning people who choose to stay that “emergency medical services are not available, nor are supplies or other amenities.”
Borough Mayor Rob Fraser said most residents in and around Fort Nelson had been evacuated, adding that police were going door to door to ensure everyone got out.
“In times of uncertainty, unity becomes critical,” Fraser said in the press release. “Please evacuate calmly, our collective strength will be our resilience.”
Health officials said Fort Nelson General Hospital was safely evacuated and closed until further notice.
ALBERTA WILDFIRE via Reuters
Alberta authorities also issued a warns of a wildfire 15.5 miles southwest from the oil sands city of Fort McMurray that could impact highway visibility in some areas. No evacuation orders have yet been given for the main Canadian oil city.
Fire restrictions will remain in effect in the area until conditions improve, officials said.
“Five forest fire teams, nine helicopters and air tankers worked on the southeast perimeter today. Windy conditions challenged firefighting efforts,” Alberta Wildfire said Saturday, adding that an incident management team will manage the wildfire.
Strong winds spread smoke across Alberta on Saturday, placing the city of Edmonton under an air quality warning with danger levels rated at more than 10 — or “very high risk” — forecast.
Meteorologists are not predicting rain and have advised people to stay home.
While conditions are expected to begin improving Sunday night, they will likely remain precarious until Monday or even Tuesday, officials said.
Canadian authorities warned Sunday that people with lung diseases such as asthma, people with heart disease, the elderly, children, pregnant women and people who work outdoors are at greater risk of health effects from wildfire smoke. They recommended that people who spend time outdoors wear a mask to reduce exposure to fire particles in smoke.
“Smoke from wildfires can be harmful to everyone’s health, even in low concentrations,” officials said.
In April, Canadian officials warned that the country could face another catastrophic wildfire season after last year. historic fires.
There have been warmer-than-normal temperatures and widespread drought conditions across Canada this winter, officials said. Weather outlooks indicate Canada can also expect warmer-than-normal temperatures this spring and summer, setting the stage for wildfires.
“With the heat and drought across the country, we can expect the wildfire season to start earlier and end later, and to be potentially more explosive,” Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said at a conference of press.
Canada’s wildfire season typically runs from May to October. The country is home to around 9% of the world’s forests.
In 2023, Canada witnessed a record number of wildfires that also caused choking smoke in parts of the US and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate across British Columbia. That year, 19 counties in 11 states had multiple days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality.
Smoke reached the US, covering parts of the East Coast and Midwest. Last June, New York City’s air quality became one of the worst in the world in June as smoke from wildfires spread across Canada.
In 2023, severe weather in Canada caused more than $3.1 billion in insured damages, officials said.
