Saturday, Shawwal 30, 1444 AH, corresponding to May 20, 2023
On Friday, provincial officials confirmed the closure of all 12 public parks in Alberta.
“With the province heading into a long, hot, dry weekend this May, Alberta’s current bushfire situation remains volatile,” said Colin Blair, executive director at the Alberta Disaster Management Agency.
“It is essential that all Albertans remain vigilant and closely follow developments regarding the fire situation across the province,” he added.
Almost half of the fires are started by people, said Kristi Tucker, Director of the Information Unit at the Alberta Forest Fire Management Division.
“We will manage the bushfire situation in the face of severe conditions and ask Albertans to help them as well,” she said, adding, “Don’t be responsible for new bushfires.”
It is noteworthy that the province of Alberta had recently declared a state of emergency and requested foreign aid after 800 thousand hectares of land were destroyed in fires that caused the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes since the beginning of the month.
On Friday, the province reported 94 active forest fires, including 26 that were out of control, according to officials.
In the neighboring province of British Columbia, the situation was also worrying, with 22 fires out of control and dozens of evacuation requests issued by the authorities.
Temperature levels are expected to reach 28 degrees Celsius by the end of this week, which is higher than the seasonal average in this province.
