A raging forest fire in eastern Canada has forced the evacuation of over 9,000 residents from Labrador City and Wabush in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The fire, described as ‘out of control’ and fueled by strong winds, is spreading at an alarming rate of 50 meters per minute, making it impossible to use water bombers.Jeff Motty, a provincial fire duty officer, stated, ‘We are seeing extreme fire behaviour out there. The fire is moving about 50 meters per minute.’ The rapid spread has created significant challenges for evacuation efforts, with residents facing a journey of over 500 kilometers on the only available road.Labrador City Mayor Belinda Adams has urged remaining residents to evacuate, emphasizing that ‘The fire is still active.’ The evacuees are being directed to Happy Valley Goose Bay, about 500 kilometers away.This crisis is part of a larger wildfire emergency in Canada. Federal authorities have warned that the country is entering its peak wildfire season, with 575 active fires across the nation, over 400 of which are considered out of control. Climate change is cited as a contributing factor to the increased risk of major fires.Last year, Canada experienced its worst fire season on record, with millions of hectares of forest land burned and eight firefighters killed. The current situation threatens to rival or surpass those devastating statistics.Meanwhile, in Turkey, two separate fire incidents occurred: one in Istanbul caused by a refrigerator explosion in a residential building, and another at a cosmetics factory in Sakarya province. Both fires were brought under control without major casualties, though one firefighter was injured in the Sakarya incident.
Key points
- Over 9,000 people evacuated from Labrador City and Wabush due to rapidly spreading forest fire.
- Fire is moving at an extreme rate of 50 meters per minute, making water bomber use impossible.
- Canada facing broader wildfire crisis with 575 active fires, over 400 out of control.
- Climate change cited as a factor in increased risk of major fires.
