CANADA — More than 16,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in Nova Scotia in eastern Canada after one of the many fires ravaging the country threatened the city of Halifax, authorities said Monday, May 29.

The fire, which is still out of control in the city’s northwest, has not progressed since the state of emergency was declared Sunday night, leaving suburban residents on high alert and ready to evacuate at any time.

“We really thought we were going to die”told public media CBC Marian and Peter Gillespie, a couple caught in the flames “Ashes and sparks fall on the car” as they fled from the fire.

“It was surreal to drive in the midst of burning vehicles and houses”a teary-eyed volunteer firefighter confided to Radio Canada.

A fire ” unprecedented »

Large clouds of smoke can be seen on television channels and several houses and vehicles have been reduced to rubble by the flames, but there are no casualties.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston described a province ” negative pressure “while Halifax Mayor Mike Savage speaks of a fire “unprecedented”. “We have not expanded the perimeter (of the evacuation zone) since yesterday, raising hopes that the situation may have stabilized.”he added during a press conference, stressing that they “Stay dangerous”.

Although the winds that fanned the flames changed direction on Monday, pushing the wildfire back in the direction it came from, it wasn’t enough to stave off the danger, authorities said.

Only rain might allow them to get the fire under control, they said, but no precipitation is expected later in the week.

On Monday, wildfires were burning in eight of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories. In recent years, western Canada has been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.

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