Authorities said one of the fires in the east is threatening populated areas on the outskirts of Halifax, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate.
“In the province, we are going through a crisis, and we want and we need and we will accept all the support we can get,” Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said at a press conference. , according to AFP.
“These fires are unprecedented,” Houston added.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the situation “heartbreaking” and pledged unwavering support for the province.
Trudeau confirmed that help is on the way to Nova Scotia, located on the Atlantic coast.
Help is pouring into the province, as Ontario sent firefighting trucks, while the United States sent firefighters to help put out the blazes, while neighboring Canadian regions sent dozens specialized firefighting aircraft, and members of the Coast Guard also worked together to put out the fire.
“People are tired, frustrated and scared,” said Mike Savage, mayor of Halifax, the provincial capital.
More than 16,000 people have been evacuated so far due to blazes from their homes in northwest Halifax.
As of Wednesday, there were 14 fires raging in Nova Scotia, 3 of which were considered out of control.
The flames destroyed around 200 homes and infrastructure, but no human injuries were recorded.
With tears in their eyes, the Kotowitzes told the CBC public broadcaster how the fire destroyed their home and the daycare they ran. “It’s my life,” his wife Terry said with tears in her eyes. She turned to ashes.
Dry weather and high temperatures expected in the coming days have heightened authorities’ fears of an escalation of the raging fire situation.
Smoke from fires in Nova Scotia has reached the Atlantic coast of the United States, causing very high levels of air pollution in New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania.
In recent years, Western Canada has been repeatedly exposed to extreme weather events, aggravated by global warming.
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