By Canadian Press

Federal officials to provide wildfire update amid devastating season

Aug 11, 2023 | 1:04 AM

OTTAWA — Federal officials are set to provide an update today on the outlook for the rest of this year’s devastating wildfire season.

Officials have already said Canada is experiencing its worst fire season on record, charring more than 130,000 square kilometres to date, which is more than six times the 10-year average.

Hundreds of homes were destroyed by wildfires in Nova Scotia earlier this year, and about 4,000 firefighters in British Columbia are currently battling hundreds of blazes, some of which have threatened communities and forced evacuations.

Natural Resources Canada said last week there were more than 650 fires burning across Canada, about two-thirds of them in B.C. 

Four firefighters have died this summer fighting wildfires in B.C., Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.

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International firefighters from the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Dominican Republic, South Korea and Colombia have been helping local firefighting crews.

The federal government has also sent members of the military and coast guard to B.C. after the provincial government requested assistance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2023.

The Canadian Press