The Voice News: A devastating wildfire has broken out in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The fires are spreading at a rapid pace, prompting the use of military aircraft and helicopters to evacuate residents from affected areas.
The situation has become so severe that local authorities have declared a state of emergency across the province and have requested international assistance. This information was reported by the British news outlet BBC on Saturday night (May 31).
Severe wildfire outbreaks have been reported particularly in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In Manitoba alone, there are currently 25 active wildfires, 10 of which are completely out of control. In Saskatchewan, another 16 wildfires are burning, with 7 classified as “uncontrolled” by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
According to the agency, the fire risk in both provinces is currently extremely high.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to evacuate residents from the First Nations community of Pukatawagan in northern Manitoba. The Canadian Armed Forces, Manitoba Wildfire Service, and Manitoba Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team are jointly conducting the evacuation using military aircraft and helicopters.
As of Friday, over 2,000 people in Pukatawagan were still awaiting evacuation. In another town, Flin Flon, all residents—nearly 5,000 people—have already been evacuated. Currently, only firefighters and emergency support staff remain in the town.
The wildfire smoke has not been limited to Canada—it has drifted into the United States as well. Around 22 million American citizens are now under respiratory health alerts. Warnings have been issued in the states of Michigan and Wisconsin, and northern Minnesota has reported that smoke levels may be “unhealthy for everyone.”
Previously, in 2023, Canada experienced a record-breaking wildfire season, during which 17.3 million hectares (42 million acres) of forest were burned— the largest in the country’s history. While wildfires are often caused by natural factors, the United Nations climate agency says that climate change is increasingly creating ideal conditions for such fires to occur more frequently and last longer. Prolonged heat dries out the land and vegetation, making even a small spark escalate into a catastrophic blaze.