Due to the declaration of a state of emergency, the authorities will gain additional options for responding to a natural disaster. “This will allow us to deploy all the necessary resources to protect the health and safety of the people of the Northwest Territories,” the regional administration said in a statement according to France24.
At the same time, the Canadian federal government on Tuesday approved aid in the fight against fires, which will consist of deploying the army for firefighting. “We are working closely with the Government of the Northwest Territories to provide communities with the support they need,” said Minister Harjit Sajjan.
The world may experience the warmest weather in modern history this year. Next year will be even worse
Yellowknife is a capital city with a population of 20,000, located about 450 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. City representatives already declared a local state of emergency on Monday. Many communities near the border with Alberta have already had to be evacuated.
According to BBC about 6,500 people left their homes. Hundreds of people were airlifted in what is believed to be the largest rescue operation in the history of the Northwest Territories.
All 13 Canadian provinces and territories have experienced wildfires this year. Over 130,000 square kilometers of land were burned, and more than 168,000 residents were evacuated. It is the worst fire season in the history of the North American state.
Source: eurozpravy.cz
