Thousands evacuate as wildfire grows ‘dramatically’ in western Canada
Authorities say wind will push the Parker Lake Wildfire closer to the small community of Fort Nelson, British Columbia.
The Parker Lake wildfire in northeastern British Columbia, Canada
Thousands of people have been evacuated as the Parker Lake wildfire continues to grow in northeastern British Columbia, Canada [Andrei Axenov/BCEHS/Handout via Reuters]
By Al Jazeera Staff
Published On 13 May 2024
Thousands of people in Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia (BC) have been evacuated from their homes as authorities warn that a enormous wildfire continues to grow.
In a video shared online late on Sunday, Cliff Chapman of the BC Wildfire Service said the Parker Lake Wildfire has exhibited “fast growth and high fire behaviour” since it began on Friday, west of the town of Fort Nelson.
A small community of about 3,000 residents, Fort Nelson is located 1,600km (995 miles) north of Vancouver in northeastern BC.
“Over the weekend, wildfire activity in the northeast of the province increased dramatically,” Chapman said in the video.
As of early Monday morning, the blaze had reached 5,280 hectares (13,500 acres) and was just 2.5km (1.5 miles) west of Fort Nelson, according to authorities.
It comes as Canada saw its most intense fire season on record in 2023, as hundreds of wildfires burned in provinces and territories across the country.
The massive blazes forced thousands from their homes, destroyed entire communities, and sent enormous plumes of smoke into the United States as well as Europe.
Experts say the climate crisis was largely responsible for the record wildfires as higher temperatures have extended the Canadian wildfire season and increased lightning, which is generally the cause of about half of all the blazes in the country.
A warmer atmosphere also dries out fire fuels, such as the vegetation on forest floors. These drier fuels then make it easier for fires to start and spread, and they lead to higher intensity fires that are more difficult to put out.
Back in northeastern BC, thousands of residents of Fort Nelson and nearby Fort Nelson First Nation have been ordered to evacuate.
