More evacuated as wildfires sweep western Canada

Evacuation operations continued Monday in western Canada, evacuating residents from areas near a town threatened by wildfires that have been particularly strong this year despite the season still being in its early stages.

Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management in British Columbia, located on the Pacific coast, said, "The next forty-eight hours will be crucial."

So far, orders have been issued for about five thousand people to evacuate this area due to a fire that has been considered out of control and has consumed over 5200 hectares of forests north of Fort Nelson.

The minister added during a press conference, "We are extremely concerned" given the difficult weather conditions and the combination of "severe drought and the arrival of westerly winds."

She continued, "It is very rare for us to have such a large number of people issued evacuation orders at this time of the year."

AFP