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The state of Alberta suffers a series of forest fires that have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. This area is characterized by its high oil production, but its operations have been suspended preventively. Authorities indicated that it could take several months for all the fires to be brought under control. For its part, the UN has warned that the El Niño phenomenon could return this year, so this type of event would be more common throughout the world.
In less than a week at least 400,000 hectares of the state of Alberta have been consumed by flames. The first hypotheses suggest that it is due to the high and unusual temperatures recorded during the first weeks of spring, between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius above normal.
The authorities have reported that there would be at least 98 active forest fires, of which 30 are classified as “out of control”, for which reason the state of emergency decreed last Saturday, May 6, is maintained and has forced evacuate about 30,000 people.
In addition, the fires have forced energy producing companies operating in the region to suspend their production, reducing at least 319,000 barrels of oil per day, equivalent to 3.7% of the country’s total production.
Similarly, Canadian natural gas exports to the United States have been affected, with a drop of 6.7 billion cubic feet per day, being the lowest level since April 2021, as reported by the financial company Refinitiv.
Canada is the fourth largest oil producer in the world. and about 80% of its oil is extracted from Alberta. So far no damage has been reported to the facilities or to the workers of the plants.
“While we remain optimistic about a safe and rapid resumption of production, the impacts for some affected companies could be significant if volumes are affected for an extended period,” analysts at Stifel FirstEnergy said.
Alberta is also the state with the highest cattle production in the country., so some ranchers have moved their cattle to safe places. Some farmers had already complained about effects on their production due to the drought.
Efforts to control the flames increase
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said more than 700 local firefighters are on the front lines of the blazes and has appealed to other provinces for at least 1,000 more officers to arrive.
He also urged volunteers to help control the emergency which has been worsened by strong winds, dry and forested ground. Some indigenous communities in the region have applied as volunteers.
“Some of these fires could continue for several months, so if we can use the resources that are already here and ask people who can help,” Smith said.
The Prime Minister announced an aid voucher equivalent to US$935 for those forced to evacuate. In addition, the state of Alberta formally requested economic and military aid from the federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Albertans forced to evacuate due to #ABWildfire for 7 consecutive days or more will be eligible for emergency financial assistance. If eligible, you can apply to receive $1250 per adult & $500 per dependent child. Starting tomorrow, evacuees can apply at https://t.co/jzF2VmpIgg. pic.twitter.com/PNZpRTKHqW
—Alberta Government (@YourAlberta) May 8, 2023
“El Niño threatens to wreak havoc in the world”
This was warned by the UN at the end of April. The meteorological phenomenon, which is characterized by high temperatures and droughts, could occur between July and September, which is why countries must prepare to face this challenge, according to officials from the international organization.
The last time this phenomenon occurred was between 2018 and 2019 and then it gave way to a particularly long period of La Niña, which caused a general drop in temperatures and heavy rains around the world.
The last eight years have been the hottest ever recorded And they could have been worse if La Niña had not appeared, according to Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization.
And although El Niño has not yet arrived, several countries around the world have reported high temperatures with the arrival of spring, as they prepare to face fires of such magnitude, such as those currently occurring in Canada.
With Reuters and local media
