Bosbranden Canada 2024: Seizoen al begonnen?

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Around 150 wildfires remain active across Western Canada

Toronto, Canada, Feb 21 (EFE).- Nearly 150 wildfires remain active in mid-winter in western Canada, according to data released Wednesday, prompting Canadian authorities to accelerate preparations for the start of the spring fire season.

Figures from the Canadian Interservice Forest Fire Centre showed 148 active wildfires in the country on Wednesday, mainly fires that never were extinguished during the 2023 fire season, the worst in the country’s history.

Most of the fires, which experts call “zombie fires” because they start in summer and lie dormant in winter, eating organic matter under the snowpack, are concentrated in British Columbia province.

Another 55 are active in Alberta and one in the eastern province of New Brunswick.

Although only two fires are out of control, the situation in Alberta (with above-normal temperatures and severe drought) has forced provincial authorities to declare the start of the wildfire season 10 days earlier than usual.

Canadian officials fear this year’s wildfire season will be worse than 2023 when a record number of hectares burned due to the high number of zombie fires this winter.

By October 2023, the official end of the season, the area burned had reached 18 million hectares, 2.5 million hectares more than the previous record in 1995.

The scale of forest fires forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people across the country. Canadian authorities called on the international community to send hundreds of firefighters to help extinguish the flames.

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Canada’s upcoming wildfire season could be worse than last year, Sajjan warns

Provincial, territorial and federal emergency response ministers have wrapped up two days of meetings in Ottawa.

That included talks on the upcoming wildfire season, which is already getting an early start in Alberta.

Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said this year’s wildfires could be even worse than last year.

“This morning, we were provided with an alarming but not surprising update on the upcoming wildfire season. We were warned that we need to be prepared for the worst,” Sajjan said Wednesday.

“Early reporting suggests that this year’s wildfire season could be worse than the last.”

He said the two-day discussions between the ministers didn’t necessarily result in a new strategy but focused on co-ordinating to be more responsive
Sajjan said that includes ensuring all the provinces and territories know all the tools they have available so they can respond quickly.

He said the politicians were also learning from lessons last year, Canada’s worst wildfire season on record.

That includes early detection of reactivated fires to take action before they can harm a town and measures as simple as ensuring flammable patio furniture is moved out of the way.

Sajjan noted the ministers also met with Indigenous leaders.

“We need to get better and better, and I think we have, (at) using their local knowledge.”