Disaster in Canada: Over 31,000 people flee from forest fires!

Disaster in Canada: Over 31,000 people flee from forest fires!

Wäühnen devastating forest fires in Canada, which have destroyed more than 22,000 square kilometers (over 2.2 million hectares). At the moment, over 31,000 people are called to flee from the flames, while more than 200 active fires are reported across the country. The authorities have proclaimed the state of emergency in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which are most affected. In La Ronge, Tarq Hosen Alin, a hotel operator, reports of the great fear that people feel in the region.

The fire brigade of La Ronge describes the Situation as chaotic and describes the fires as a "monster". A particularly active fire has already destroyed around 470,000 hectares of land and is still out of control. Over half of the fires have not yet been contained, which leads to poor air quality in Central Canada and in the northern part of the United States. According to the authorities, most fires are due to carelessness, such as poorly deleted campfire.

climate change as the cause factor

The current forest fires represent the most devastating in the history of Canada. In 2023, the country experienced its worst forest fire season with over 15 million hectares of burned land and numerous evacuations. This number is more than twice as high as in the worst year 1995, where 7 million hectares were affected. Alexander Held, a forest scientist, refers to a "new quality" of the fires, which often burn beyond the control threshold and develop so much energy that extinguishing is difficult or impossible. Experts warn that the changing climate increases the likelihood of such devastating forest fires with increasing heat and drought. So far, around 290 megatons CO2 have been released by the fires, which transforms the forests of carbon sinks into CO2 sources. NRW recently reported that Montreal had the worst air quality worldwide in June, which also illustrated the influence of these fires.

The causes of the fires are diverse. Important factors are not only climate change, but also missing forestry such as monocultures and inadequate prevention measures. This includes a lack of mixed forests and insufficient fire prevention, which are considerably promoting forest fire risks.

forest fire risks in Germany

In comparison, the situation in Germany has improved significantly between 1991 and 2017. The area affected by forest fires has decreased significantly. Nevertheless, the weather -related forest fire hazard remains constant or even increasing in many regions, especially in the northeastern federal states. There, too, the main causes of forest fires are often negligent action and arson. In recent years, especially in 2018 and 2019, extreme drought and heat have caused the fires to increase.

The fight against forest fires in Germany faces challenges. While classic precautionary measures such as wound strips and water withdrawal points are being pursued, the digital monitoring of the fire areas has opened up new possibilities. Nevertheless, targeted measures such as controlled fire and preventive management are still necessary to reduce the risk of fire to prevent catastrophic developments.

The current situation in Canada shows the urgency to better protect the forests in both North America and in Europe and to adapt to the growing challenges of climate change. Political and social measures to improve fire protection strategies are essential to avoid devastating scenarios in the future.

More information about the current forest fires in Canada can be found in the reports of vienna.at and tagesschau.de , while additional details about the forest fire threat to Germany at Environmental Federal Agency