Heavy rains in Canada offer relief from wildfires but could lead to flooding
Crews hope wet weather could be ‘turning point’ after worst start to fire season on record in which area the size of Wales has burned
Tue 23 May 2023 12.26 EDTLast modified on Tue 23 May 2023 15.59 EDT
Heavy rains have brought relief to western Canada, in what crews hope could be a “turning point” in a protracted fight against wildfires, but officials also warned the much-needed downpour could lead to
catastrophic flooding – and fresh blazes from lightning strikes.
Officials in Alberta said that cool, wet weather over the weekend – and more forecast for the coming days – promised a respite after
the worst start to a fire season on record, in which 512 wildfires have already consumed more than 945,000 hectares – surpassing the previous record 615,00 hectares for the same period in 2019.
“This could be a turning point for the firefighters working out there on the fires,” Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire told reporters, adding that everyone was “relieved to see some rain” after weeks of battling aggressive fires. “Most areas of the province have now seen rain, lower temperatures and higher humidity, all of which will help firefighters gain ground on these wildfires.”
Alongside the rains, cooler temperatures and more moisture in vegetation, are giving fire crews an added boost in taming the blazes.
The province is still contending with 81 fires, including 23 classified as out of control. Within Alberta, 10,000 people remain under evacuation order.
“Many fires of this size will certainly not be extinguished after a few days of rain,” said Tucker, adding that nearly 3,000 firefighters from 17 agencies and been deployed, along with 400 soldiers from the Canadian military.
Environment and Climate Change
Canada said that by midweek, as much as 75mm of rain could fall in the western parts of the province.