More Evacuations in Canada Amid Wildfires, Officials Say

A forest fire has prompted local authorities to conduct a mandatory evacuation in Canada’s Manitoba province, on the border with Ontario, officials said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The wildfire is one of the two forest fires burning along the border, officials with the Manitoba government’s wildfire program said as cited by CBC on Friday afternoon.

Winds are pushing the flames from both of the fires east into Ontario, the officials said.

Another major wildfire has hit Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta, near Fort McMurray. On Tuesday, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said that the entire city of Fort McMurray with a total population of over 60,000 had been evacuated after wildfires were fanned into populated areas by unpredictable winds.

On Wednesday, Alberta declared a state of emergency as the number of evacuees surpassed 80,000.

Alberta’s government declared on Thursday that 49 wildfires continue to burn in the province.

Russia's Minister of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief Vladimir Puchkov said on Thursday that Russia was ready to send firefighting aircraft to Canada to help deal with the Alberta wildfire.

Public Safety Canada spokesperson Mylene Croteau told RIA Novosti on Friday that Ottawa was reviewing Russia’s offer.