Many communities have been completely evacuated in Canada, especially in the Northwest Territories.
Wildfires are raging unchecked and at great speed across large parts of Canada. So far, more than 168,000 people have been evacuated and five people have lost their lives, including a 9-year-old child. CNN.
— Leave town while you can, said the mayor of the northwestern city of High River in Yellowknife County, Candace Jameson, on Wednesday.
Tourists defy the appeal – local dynasties
Fear for life
Lisa Mundy, a mother of two from High River, believes she and her husband and children were among the last to drive out of town.
We didn’t see anything ahead. We’ve traveled through embers, Mundi adds CBC.
At 3 p.m., High River residents received an evacuation order. But just two hours after the message arrived, the main road outside the city had to be closed by the authorities due to forest fires, and people were told to go to the airport for evacuation by plane.
The couple and their children feared for their lives when they drove onto the road, just before it closed.
– I was afraid the tires would explode and the car would catch fire. The front window was shattered, says the mother of two CBC.
– the worst in history
The family of four says they could see the car melting around them and slowly but surely filling with smoke.
– My six-year-old said “Mom, I don’t want to die” over and over again. Mundy says the car trip was traumatic for everyone.
– It was completely insane. I just started crying when I got out of the car.
The local fire service reported that this year’s wildfire season is the worst in history. Twice as much space has burned so far compared to last year. Forecasts indicate that the fires will continue in the coming months.
Canada joins a long line of countries that have suffered massive wildfires this summer.
Forest fires have also marked several countries in Europe this year, including Norway. At the same time, the island of Maui in the United States is now experiencing the deadliest wildfire in the country’s history, with 110 people killed as a result of the wildfires, according to figures from the authorities.
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