Ottawa. A state of emergency has been declared in the entire Canadian western province of British Columbia due to the rapidly spreading forest fire. Due to strong winds, the fire is moving towards residential areas and many communities are in danger. In a press conference in Vancouver, the state’s Premier David Abby said that the situation is very serious. The fire situation is changing every minute. A large number of people were evacuated to safe places during the night. In such a situation, special powers were needed to ensure public safety, hence it became necessary to impose an emergency.
David Eby stated that the government’s first priority is to save lives and assist in relief efforts. He added that air evacuations are underway to rescue those trapped by the fire. According to the provincial Emergency Management Ministry, the imposition of a state of emergency will grant the government powers to deal with the crisis, including taking control of residences and imposing local travel restrictions.
The fire near Summerland remains the most dangerous, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Many homes and properties have been destroyed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on social media Saturday that the federal government stands ready to provide all necessary assistance to BC in firefighting and relief efforts.
Forest fires have been raging in northwestern Ontario for the past few days. This has led to haze and poor air quality in many areas. The capital, Ottawa, and Canada’s largest city, Toronto, were also affected by the smoke. Toronto’s air quality index was recorded as the worst among major cities in the world. According to Environment Canada data, Toronto’s air quality health index was described as ‘very high risk’. Earlier, an air quality alert was also issued in Ottawa due to the smoke and humidity from the forest fires. Due to the humidity, smoke particles got trapped in the air and the sky appeared yellow.
A video also went viral on social media showing a Canadian National train surrounded by forest fires near Armstrong, Ontario. The video, taken by the loco pilot, showed high flames and red lights on both sides of the train. Canadian National confirmed the video on Wednesday, saying the train crew had been safely evacuated. More than 100 fires are currently raging in northwestern Ontario. People have been evacuated from several communities. Canadian National has temporarily suspended train operations in the affected area.