British Columbia is in the midst of its worst wildfire season on record. With nearly nine hundred thousand hectares (or nine thousand square kilometers) burned since April 1st, the province has declared a state of emergency, calling on funding from the federal Liberals and resources from neighboring provinces and countries. Over one hundred fires are still burning, including the largest single wildfire in BC history, west of Quesnel. Tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes as cities like Williams Lake, Clinton and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District have been put under evacuation alerts and orders. Firefighters are working overtime to contain the over 120 fires blazing in the subalpine and boreal forest near towns and valuable timber. The province has spent over $315 million to date combating the onslaught.

BC isn’t the only region experiencing record wildfires. The Pacific Northwest is on fire, including Washington and Oregon State. California, itself ripe for wildfire after years of drought or near-drought conditions, is currently experiencing nineteen wildfires, including the largest ever fire in Los Angeles. A local emergency has been declared, and firefighters are hoping for moisture from Tropical Storm Lidia to help subdue the blaze.

The chaotic situation evokes the sentiment of summer 2016, when Fort McMurray, Alberta, home of the Tar Sands and formerly Canada’s foremost cash cow, was nearly laid to waste. Over 1,800 families lost their homes, with lost labor and oilsands production totaling nearly $1.5 billion. Then as now, the federal Liberals were themselves under fire for failing to deliver an adequate response.