State Of Emergency Due To Wildfires

25,000 people were forced to leave their homes after large scale wildfires swept through areas of Alberta, Canada. A state of emergency was declared on May 7th. 

On Saturday, May 6th, firefighters reported a shocking 103 active wildfires in the province. The area destroyed so far is about one million acres. Fires are claimed to be caused by the hot and dry weather and global warming experienced all over the world. It is reported that the fires have been far apart from each other, making them harder to extinguish.

Emergency personnel from other provinces are being brought in to help with evacuation and Damage control. There are many important resources in this area including lumber, and more importantly oil. 

Evacuated families are being given government assistance. Adults are getting $1,250 after 7 days of evacuation and an additional 500 for each child. Evacuation centers are also helping with hospitality and supplies. Over 5,000 people have been helped by these centers. 

Smoke is now being seen around areas of the northeastern United States. The photo on the right was taken by Darius Aniunas, a Cape Cod resident who captured a sunset with the large quantities of smoke covering the sun. While the smoke inhalation is not severe enough to worry citizens of nearby areas, citizens of eastern Canada are being told to watch out for symptoms of smoke inhalation. 

Areas with similar “Dry Heat” weather conditions are also at risk of wildfires. This includes most of the western US including California and Arizona. The risk is also rising due to global warming. Wildfires can be reduced with responsible harvesting processes, attentiveness to weather, and proper property maintenance.