Canada wildfires: Energy minister describes ongoing blazes as “heartbreaking”

Jonathan Wilkinson, energy and natural resources minister, described the ongoing wildfires in British Columbia and Northwest Territories as “heartbreaking” and said that the different levels of government are working actively to support affected communities as best they can.

He added that beyond the immediate term of the wildfires, Canada has “effectively two paths” that can be taken. He described the first as accepting climate change as a scientific reality that must be addressed, and the second as pretending climate concerns will fade.

This is Canada's worst-ever wildfire season with more than 1,000 active fires burning across the country, including 265 in the Northwest Territories.

British Columbia declared a state of emergency Friday due to the "unprecedented" situation, Premier David Eby said. Meanwhile, all residents of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, and nearby First Nations, were given until 12 p.m. MT on Friday to evacuate.

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