EDMONTON — Premier Danielle Smith says the government is bringing in arson investigators from outside the province to trace the cause of the unprecedented wildfires in Alberta.
In an interview with Real Talk Ryan Jespersen, he asked Smith how she reconciles her government's energy policies with the fact experts have linked this year's extreme fire season to climate change.
Smith responded that she's concerned about arson when it comes to about 175 wildfires in Alberta with no known cause and said the province would bring in the additional investigators.
Jespersen noted, however, that the hot and dry conditions that allow fires to grow are part of a changing climate.
Smith then said Alberta needs to do a better job as government to build fireguards around communities.
She isn't the only conservative politician to downplay the link between the wildfires and climate change, but scientists have said fires are larger and more intense, often burning throughout the night, due to climate change.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2023.
The Canadian Press
