In Pics | More than 1000 wildfires ravage Canada, sky turns red
Alert in Yellowknife
Recent attention has shifted back to the western regions, where wildfires are currently blazing just about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Yellowknife, the capital of the sparsely populated Northwest Territories. There's a growing concern that these fires might approach the outskirts of the city by the weekend, as stated by Mike Westwick, the Territories' fire information officer, in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Evacuation kickstarts
In a desperate response, more than 20,000 residents of Yellowknife are being evacuated as firefighters tirelessly battle to prevent the encroaching wildfires from reaching the city. This latest event adds to the gravity of what is now considered Canada's most severe fire season on record.
What's the situation in Canada?
The situation across Canada is dire, with a total of 1,054 active wildfires, including 230 in the Northwest Territories alone. Alarmingly, 669 of these wildfires are categorised as being out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. This has forced the sky to turn red.
5,738 wildfires so far this year
In this year alone, there have been a staggering 5,738 wildfires that have scorched an expanse of 13.7 million hectares (33.9 million acres). Tragically, several firefighters have lost their lives during this arduous battle. For context, the previous record for a wildfire season was set in 1989, with a total of 7.6 million hectares (18.8 million acres) burned.
Started in April
The onset of this year's wildfires was noted in late April, originating in the western provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. This led to the displacement of over 30,000 individuals at the peak of the crisis, while also causing temporary halts in oil and gas production.
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