Canadian oil and gas companies pause production as wildfires continue

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In this photo provided by the Government of Alberta Fire Service, a wildfire burns a section of forest in the Grande Prairie district of Alberta, Canada, Saturday. Associated Press/Government of Alberta Fire Service/The Canadian Press

Canadian oil and gas companies pause production as wildfires continue

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Monday requested military support and federal assistance to battle widespread wildfires. About 30,000 Alberta and British Columbia residents were told to evacuate as over 100 active fires burned across western Canada. Several Alberta-based energy companies on Monday said they would temporarily shut down production of at least 185,000 barrels of oil per day due to the fires.

How much damage have the fires caused? More than 300,000 acres of land and dozens of homes have burned since Friday. Alberta Wildfire Agency spokesperson Christie Tucker said drought, high winds, and warm weather contributed to the unusually high number of fires.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in WORLD Magazine about how people on both sides of the climate change issue are trying to talk it out.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.