By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
VOA
reports that an out-of-control wildfire
burning in the Canadian province of Alberta has
forced the evacuation of the 4,000-resident town
of High Level.
"The fire is jumping from crown to crown in
trees," Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said at a
news conference Tuesday. "Unfortunately, the dry
conditions in northern Alberta are expected to
continue for the foreseeable future, with the fire
danger possibly increasing this week."
Fire officials have rated the fire as a Level 6,
the top of the wildfire intensity scale.
There have been 430 wildfires in Alberta since
March 1, of which 30 are still active and five
have been classified as out of control. Kenny said
the number of fires currently burning across the
province is slightly higher than the five-year
average.
Fire experts from Natural Resources, Canada's
Northern Forestry Center in Edmonton, predict that
wildfire danger is increasing in western Canada.
"For the month of May, we are showing normal or
below-normal levels of expected fire severity
through the entire country," said Richard Carr, a
fire research analyst.
"However, through the summer beginning in June and
extending through August, we're seeing the
western-most regions — British Columbia, Yukon,
western Alberta — that have increased risk of fire
severity, and therefore the possibility of more
fires," he said.
Officials said the forecast doesn't predict the
number of fires, only weather conditions that
could lead to more fires.
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