Wildfires in Alberta have ripped across 1,071,000 hectares of land, smashing the previous record for the spring season of 615,000 in 2019
More than one million hectares in Alberta have been scorched in what is a record-setting spring and an unprecedented start to wildfire season. Less than halfway through the seven-month period when the province is most at risk, Alberta is well on its way to having the worst fire season on record and exceeding 1981, when about 1.36 million hectares were burned.
Firefighters have responded to 520 blazes so far this year, ripping across 1,017,000 hectares of land. The previous high for the spring season alone was 615,000 hectares burned in 2019, which was driven in large part owing to a wildfire near High Level, Alta. Ms. Tucker said the “unusual nature” of this season is the number of large-scale fires burning in different areas of central and northern Alberta.
Ms. Tucker said there are more than 1,100 firefighters from Canada and the United States assisting nearly 1,700 local responders. She said additional firefighters are arriving from the U.S. on Wednesday and from New Zealand and Australia later in the week, which will include specialists in supervision and aviation management.
Smoke continues to reduce visibility for firefighters but Ms. Tucker said there has been significant progress in fighting other fires on the ground. She said fire personnel have been busy building fire guards and using heavy equipment, such as bulldozers, to clear vegetation that could draw a fire closer to a community.
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