A military aircraft and helicopters are being used to evacuate residents in the Canadian province of Manitoba from fast-moving wildfires.
Thousands have already evacuated western Canada, especially the central prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as firefighters battle growing flames and hot, dry weather predictions in the days coming.
Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba have declared states of emergency for the next month and made a plea for international help in fighting the fires.
Thick smoke from the fires – of which there are more than 180 according to officials – has spread across Canada and into parts of the United States (US).
Evacuations have been ordered as the fire spreads in large regions of Alberta and British Columbia; Manitoba’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team, Manitoba Wildfire Service and Canadian Armed Forces have been using a military aircraft and helicopters to help people to safety from the northern community in Manitoba.
Over 2,000 people still needed to be moved out of Pukatawagan as of Friday.
Flin Flon City of 5,000 in Manitoba, only firefighters and support workers are remaining in the town. According to the province’s fire situation report, in Manitoba, a total of twenty-five (25) fires are burning, with ten (10) classified as out of control.
While the Province of Manitoba is battling the harshest conditions, other provinces are also fighting with worsening wildfires.
There are 16 wildfires burning in Saskatchewan as of Saturday, with seven (7) classified as not contained. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) classified conditions in the province as extreme.
A meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada based in Winnipeg, Danielle Desjardins, said: “The bad news about this cold front is it’s going to be windy”, further saying that, the wind, added to the heat and lack of rain, are prime conditions for wildfire spread.
Dense Smoke from the wildfires has also left an estimated 22 million Americans under air quality this weekend.
Residents in northern Minnesota have been warned smoke could reach levels “unhealthy for everyone”, while the other part of the state faces air quality warnings for sensitive groups. That alert runs through Monday evening.
Photo: EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
