The worst wildfire season in Canadian history is displacing Indigenous communities from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.
“In blink of eye, we lost so much … it was devastating. I can’t stress that enough,” said Supernault, who said he hasn’t seen any elk or moose, both important food sources, since the fire.
As of last week, almost 23,000 people from 75 Indigenous settlements have had to evacuate this year, according to Indigenous Services Canada. More than 3,600 people from 15 First Nations reserves in five provinces were evacuated as of Thursday, the agency said.Article content Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and fire chief in Red Deer, Alberta — a province where about 7,600 square miles have already burned, compared to just over 695 square miles in all of 2022 — said some places burning again this year haven’t fully recovered from previous fires.Article content
She said Indigenous communities are increasingly vulnerable because they’re often left out of decisions about forest management and fire response, and often can’t afford to hire emergency managers. What’s more, when fires affect urban centers at the same time, fire suppression shifts to larger communities.
“Last year, me and my wife were talking about how many fires there were in Alberta, then boom! There were so many in Quebec this year,” said Ratt. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, now we’re dealing with wildfires like they are out west.”‘
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