Deadly forest fires in Canada: 92 rage fire, evacuations in Manitoba!

Deadly forest fires in Canada: 92 rage fire, evacuations in Manitoba!

Lac-du-Bonnet, Kanada - The forest fires in Canada spread alarming and achieve devastating dimensions. There are currently 92 active fires all over Canada, 24 of them in Manitoba. Tragically, two people have already died in the fire in LAC-Du-Bonnet. The authorities have asked around 1,000 people to evacuate, while a particularly massive fire on the border between Manitoba and Ontario covers an area of ​​around 100,000 hectares. Experts strongly warn of the heavy fires in Central and Westkanada this year, due to extensive drought in several regions. Civilian fatalities are usually rare, most recently there were no civilian fatalities in 2023, only firefighters lost their lives.

The connection between the current forest fires and climate change is obvious. According to Blauglicht-Magazin , the forest fires are not only locally limited, but also affect large areas across Canada and North America, with over 360 active fires and only about half under control. Low humidity, the lack of rain and strong wind are other factors that promote the spread of fire. In addition, thunderstorm flashes contribute to the development.

international help and health concerns

The effects of the fires are not only regional, but also internationally noticeable. The air quality in large cities such as Toronto, New York and Washington is significantly impaired, and clouds of smoke move to Europe. International aid is mobilized: Firefighters from the USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are in action, while firefighters from Portugal, Spain and France are supposed to travel to Canada to provide support.

The current forest fires are the most devastating in the history of Canada, such as Tagesschau . So far, over 15 million hectares of land have been burned, which corresponds to almost half of the area of ​​Germany. This scope is more than twice as large as in the worst year 1995. Experts like the forest scientist Alexander Held speak of a "new quality" of the fires - the number of fire has not increased, but many fires now reach an intensity that makes extinguishing almost impossible.

The causes are complex and complex: a missed forestry and climate change play an important role. Monocultures and lack of prevention have increased the potential for major fires. The change in the climate also leads to longer dry periods and higher temperatures, which further increases the risk of fire.

effects and future prospects

According to the WWF, the organization warns of increasingly frequent fire disasters, which are reinforced by the climate crisis. The fires release large amounts of carbon dioxide, which with around 290 megatons have a significant impact on global warming. This turns forests of carbon sinks into CO2 sources. Montreal has recently had the worst air quality worldwide.

Although the risk of large fires in Germany is lower, the forests are also at risk here. Experts recommend restructuring the forests with more mixed forest and deciduous trees, as well as targeted management strategies and controlled burn -off measures for prevention purposes. Countries such as Australia and Portugal have successfully implemented similar measures after devastating fires, while in many regions of the world the courage for prevention often lacks resistance.