Disaster in Manitoba: 17,000 people evacuated because of forest fires!

Disaster in Manitoba: 17,000 people evacuated because of forest fires!

Flin Flon, Kanada - emergency in Manitoba: over 17,000 people evacuated

The emergency was proclaimed in the Canadian province of Manitoba, while violent forest fires were plagued by the region. According to vienna.at so far over 17,000 people have been brought to safety, which makes this evacuation the largest in the history of the province. Prime Minister Wab Kinew reported that there are no victims to complain about, although the situation is alarming.

Currently 22 active forest fires were registered in Manitoba, which affect all regions of the province. The city of Flin Flon, which has more than 5,000 inhabitants, is one of the most affected areas. The residents have already been asked to flee, which led to overloaded motorways and empty petrol stations.

alarming fires and climate change

According to the last reports, there are around 134 active fires in Canada, half of which are out of control. Last month alone burned almost 200,000 hectares of forest, which is more than three times as much as on average the past five years. The forest fire season is shown this year as the worst in Canada's history, with more than 15 million hectares burned by 2023, and up to 230,000 people were evacuated, as Klimareporter.de

The violent situation is reinforced by climate change; Weather -related extremes could occur more often in the coming years. A climate researcher indicates that the likelihood of devastating fires in eastern Canada was at least doubled due to global warming. Experts estimate that such conditions could occur every 25 years.

military support and emergency accommodation

Prime Minister Mark Carney asked for the support of the Canadian military to facilitate evacuation from the endangered areas. Army flights are to be used and additional funds are provided for fire fighting. In addition, emergency accommodation for the evacuated ones has been set up, and there is an appeal to companies and communities to open their doors to the displaced.

During this serious crisis, according to Deutschlandfunk.de, two people have already been killed, which also underlines the urgency of the situation. The authorities warn of a particularly violent forest fire season due to the continuing drought in the west and center of the country.