Firefighters in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia continue to desperately battle several wildfires that are raging out of control. Nova Scotia is facing a crisis and needs “all the help we can get,” Premier Tim Houston said Wednesday. The fires are “unprecedented”.
Fourteen wildfires raged across eastern Canada on Wednesday, including one near the city of Halifax. Over 200 homes and other structures have already been damaged or destroyed.
Twelve firefighting planes have been transferred to Nova Scotia from neighboring provinces, and Coast Guard officials are bolstering firefighting crews and helping evacuate residents. Houston also requested military assistance. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the situation “heartbreaking” and promised unlimited help.
A couple told CBC they lost both their home and the daycare center they led to the fires. “It was my life,” Terri Kottwitz said in tears.
Smoke from the wildfires was drifting south along the Atlantic coast, raising air quality warnings in the US states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
For several years, Western Canada has been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events which, according to experts, are increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change. (AFP)
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