WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2023) The wildfires in Canada have already burnt 5.3 million hectares of forest land, an area three times the size of Lake Ontario, Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said on Thursday.
"As a result of the wildfires that we've experienced this year in Canada almost 5.3 million hectares have burned so far, and if I may provide some context to that, that would represent the total area of nearly three times the size of Lake Ontario," Blair said in an update of the situation.
Blair noted that there are 458 active wildfires across the country, of which 235 are deemed to be out of control.
Some 18,690 Canadians have been evacuated and thousands remain displaced but the number has significantly decreased in Quebec and Alberta, Blair said.
Blair called on Canadians to take due precautions in case they were required to evacuate.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said the yearly average burnt during wildfire seasons in the past decade stood at 2.7 million, whereas the current number is nearly double.
The dry temperatures expected for the rest of the summer could create conditions for more wildfires, Guilbeault added.
