“Alberta Province Declares State of Emergency as Wildfires Blaze Across 350,000 Acres”

The Canadian province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency due to the high number of wildfires. Provincial Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement during a press conference. She described the situation as an “unprecedented crisis”.

Some 25,000 Alberta residents have been forced to leave their homes in recent days due to approaching wildfires, and it is estimated that more than 5,000 are about to be evacuated. 110 active wildfires were counted in the province on Saturday, seven more than the day before. Authorities say 36 of those fires are “out of control”. Due to the hot and dry weather, the fires are increasing in strength and number.

By declaring a state of emergency, the prime minister says, the province has more scope and money to fight the fires and force residents to leave their homes.

According to the county’s wildfire expert, Christie Tucker, this time of year carries a high risk of wildfires every year. “But the amount of burned forest this year is significantly higher than in the past five years,” she said at the press conference.

According to Tucker, about 122,000 hectares of forest are currently on fire, compared to about 800 hectares in previous years. A total of 350,000 hectares of forest have already been burned in the province this year, more than 5 percent of Alberta’s total land area.