Wildfires continue to spread in Canada

Ottawa, May 14 (IANS) Ten new wildfires were reported on Monday, pushing the total number of active fires to 140 nationwide, said the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

Most of the active fires were in the western part of the country, with 46 from British Columbia (BC) and 47 from Alberta, while a total of 41 fires were categorised as out of control, reports Xinhua news agency.

The most serious one is within just a few kilometres of the northern BC town of Fort Nelson, where 4,700 people have been ordered to leave.

The fires have prompted air quality warnings in western Canada, Northwestern Ontario and several northern American states. Smoke from the wildfires in BC and Alberta is expected to arrive in the capital city of Ottawa on Tuesday, local media reported.

The Canadian government warned that above-normal temperatures nationwide could lead to greater wildfire risks.

Canada's wildfire season in 2023 was the most destructive on record. According to the Canadian National Fire Database, there were 7,131 fires recorded nationwide in 2023, burning a record 17,203,625 hectares of land.