As wildfires rage, another town in Canada’s Northwest Territories orders evacuations
OTTAWA (AFP) – Another town in the Northwest Territories was forced to evacuate today as strong winds blew in and temperatures climbed as massive wildfires spread further across Canada.
Authorities said the threat to Hay River, a town of about 4,000 people, was so severe that fire brigades and essential workers were also ordered to evacuate, AFP reported.
The Northwest Local Government ordered that all those currently in Haihe Town go to the local airport and wait for instructions.
Haihe Township Chief Kandis Jameson said 100 residents were still refusing to comply with evacuation orders.
“Anyone who remains in Haihe town does so at their own risk… There will be no emergency services or ambulance units,” the government statement said.
At this stage, about two-thirds of the population of the vast but sparsely populated Northwest China has been evacuated to neighboring provinces, sometimes even 2,000 kilometers away.
“Extreme southwesterly winds pushed the fire further into towns along the highway, forcing people and planes to retreat to a safe distance before regrouping,” Northwest Regional Environment Minister Shane Thompson said, describing the situation as “very serious”.
Authorities said firefighters were battling a fire line several kilometers long and the smoke prevented the use of helicopters.
Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, with heat and severe drought affecting much of the country.
With 15 million hectares currently burned, Canada is not only larger than Greece, but more than double the previous record, and this year’s wildfire season isn’t over yet. (Translator: Ji Jinling)
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2023-08-27 07:05:01
