Fires fanned by hot temperatures and thick forests devastate Canada every year. Canada is the second largest country in the world with lots of forests and lush landscapes. But hotter seasons and drier landscapes are becoming more common due to the climate change phenomenon permeating the globe. Every year, fires break out in one province or another, mostly in the western provinces (Alberta & British Columbia) of the country. “Based on data in the National Forestry Database, over 8000 fires occur each year, and burn an average of over 2.1 million hectares.”
As I am writing this blogpost (July 10, 2024), wildfires are blazing in Alberta, though the vast majority of them are under control. Firefighters are working hard to extinguish them and evacuate residents to safety. It is feared that more wildfires might flare up due to above-average temperatures and excessive heat.
The past fifteen years have inflicted devastating fires on the country, labelling entire towns to the ground. In 2016, Fort McMurray, an Alberta town rich in oil and gas, burned down and had its residents evacuated to various towns of the province. 75,009 people lived in the town in 2016.The town’s fires decimated 579,767 hectares of land, forcing over 90,000 people to flee after their homes had been obliterated. 2,400 homes burned down to the ground. Canadian Disaster Database estimated damage sustained by the town at C$9.9 billion. It was the costliest fire disaster in Canadian history.
The wildfire erupted and swept through the town on May 1st, 2016, and continued blazing until it was put under control on July 5th, 2016. However, the fire was declared to be fully extinguished on August 2, 2017. Nevertheless, many residents never returned to the town, reducing its population. The latest census conducted in 2021 indicated that 68,002 people inhabited the town.
Another Alberta town named Slave Lake fell victim to a large-scale wildfire in 2011. Unlike the 2016 Fort McMurray fire, though, the Slave Lake fire was caused by arson. However, nobody was arrested for the catastrophic fire, considered to be the second-worst disaster in Canadian history. Those who set fire to the town remain anonymous. The fire rendered 732 people homeless, and forced insurance companies to fix insurable damages pegged at over CA$700 million. Other than a pilot killed when his helicopter crashed while fighting the inferno, no other people lost their lives to the fire.
Hot temperatures and large, thick forests exacerbate fire effects in Canada. Every hot season, some Canadians fall victim to out-of-control fires which take a long time to be extinguished. Fires are the most feared nemesis in the country. With homes built of wood and combustible materials, everyone’s mind is preoccupied with fire, alarm checks, and exit spots. Summer is when Canadians bask in the sun to get more vitamin D for their bodies, but the fear of fire and its deadly effects water down their enjoyment. The country has a big firefighting capacity, but it sometimes asks for extra support to put out uncontrollable wildfires.