Wildfires are raging through the northern part of Canada’s Alberta, forcing the evacuation of three communities, according to a provincial body statement on Saturday. The oil-rich province is battling five ‘wildfires of note’ across separate areas, with these fires considered a significant threat to public safety, communities, and critical infrastructure.
The evacuation orders were issued across John D’Or, Fox Lake, and Garden River communities in northern Alberta, covering nearly 62,000 hectares and affecting 5,000 inhabitants. No threat to oil sands production was mentioned.
Alberta is currently experiencing 158 wildfire events, with 55 of them being out of control. While not all out-of-control fires require evacuations, the Alberta government’s wildfire service warns that fire activity is expected to remain intense throughout the weekend due to the hot and dry weather. Over 200 firefighters and support staff, 10 helicopters, and 43 pieces of heavy equipment are actively working on the complex, which was ignited by lightning.
Meanwhile, in neighboring British Columbia, where up to 319 active wildfires are burning, evacuation orders were issued on Saturday due to an uncontrolled wildfire blazing between two lakes, according to the BC Wildfire Service on social media platform X. The province has witnessed 58 new wildfire incidents in the last 24 hours, with three ‘wildfires of note’ in the southern region – the Shetland Creek, Aylwin Creek, and Komonko Creek. All three are on evacuation alert, according to the provincial government.
The BC Wildfire Service reports that fire activity is escalating in southern B.C. due to thunderstorms across the interior and central parts of the province. Nearly a thousand BC Wildfire Service firefighters are on the ground, but more than half of the province’s wildfires remain out of control.
