30,000 evaluated in Australia - Wildfire season 2024 starts in Canada - extreme water shortage in Mexico City

Warm and dry weather has forced the province of Alberta to declare an early start to wildfire season in Canada, FirefightinginCanada.com reports. In Australia,30,000 people have been evacuated in the state of Victoria.  

By February 23rd, more than two thousand people had been evacuated from towns in Victoria state because of a bushfire burning out of control, Reuters reports.

Only days later, February 28, on Wednesday, approximately 30,000 people had been ordered to evacuate parts of Victoria, according to CNN. 

According to Jason Hefferman´s update on Facebook,  the chief officer at Victoria’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) state’s volunteer fire service, temperatures are rising to 40°C (104°F).  Wind gusts are blowing at 60 to 70 kilometers per hour (37 to 43 mph).

“Extreme fire dangers are coming to fruition, and in fact we’re currently seeing catastrophic conditions in Casterdon, Hamilton and Kanagulk in the Wimmera weather district,” he said.

Early fire season in Canada

Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said Tuesday that fire season is now underway, already 10 days earlier than the usual start of fire season on March 1. Low snowfall and dry weather in the forecast is reportedly to blame. 

Chile is also at risk for more wildfires . Deadly wildfires tore through the central parts of the country killing 133 people last month,  making it the deadliest wildfire in the country on record,  according to the United Nations disaster agency. 

With climate change threatening to make the weather even warmer, according to a report from World Weather Attribution, the likelihood of more tragedy is apparent.  

In Mexico City, the water crisis is nearing 'day zero', reports UPI.com. 

Mexico City could be very close running out of water. Prolonged drought and higher than usual temperatures are worsening the problem, Mexican authorities have said.

Residents have recently protested against the water shortages. According to authorities, water levels are reportedly at their lowest levels in recorded history.

"Several neighborhoods have suffered from a lack of water for weeks, and there are still four months left for the rains to start," said Christian Domínguez Sarmiento, an atmospheric scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

He adds; with climate change, there is no given that there will be steady rain during the usual rainy season. 

If the water taps run dry completely, 22 million people in one of the world's most densely populated cities would find themselves at 7,300 feet / 2225 meters above sea level in a field of porous, clay soil.  

Photo Credit:  Public Domain / Flickr
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Wildfire

Summer is here, which means fire season has also arrived. Wildfire is a natural and necessary process that ensures forest health, but excessive wildfire can damage ecosystems and impact human lives and property. Over the last century, climate has been the most important factor controlling burned acreage, with hot dry summers (especially when preceded by wet winters) being particularly prone to wildfire. With global climate change bringing increased temperatures, what does the future hold for wildfire on public lands? Follow NPS Fire and Aviation Management on Facebook to see how this summer unfolds.

This is a 2013 photo of the Alder Fire in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Mike Lewelling, National Park Service