More than 17,000 people were evacuated in western Canada’s Manitoba province on Wednesday as the region experienced its worst start to the wildfire season over the years.

"The Manitoba government has declared a province-wide emergency due to the wildfire situation," Manitoba Prime Minister Wab Kinew said in a press conference. "This is the largest evacuation in Manitoba and will be seen in the memory of most people in their lives."

Kinew said he had asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to send Canadian troops to help with evacuation and firefighting.

Military aircraft will be deployed “infinitely” to help people bring people from endangered northern communities to safety, with additional fire protection resources, Kinew said.

The climate crisis has made wildfires more frequent and intense in Canada. The country has suffered devastating fires in recent years, including 2023, the most destructive on the record.

There are now 134 active fires in Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Half are considered out of control.

The evacuation includes the town of Flin Flon, where 5,000 residents were told earlier that they were ready to flee temporarily, the main wildfire in the mining town, named after the fictional character in a 1905 paperback novel.

Residents of several other remote towns and indigenous communities are now also told to leave.

Most evacuated personnel are expected to be transported to Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Evacuation case Sheryl Matheson said the wildfires surrounded her town Sherridon, located in the northeast of Flin Flon.

"It's overwhelming," said the owner of the fishing hut. "It's smoky. You can see four to five kilometers away and then move quickly."

"The flames shot over 121 feet and firefighters could not do anything when they left the fire," she added.

Elsaida Alerta told public broadcaster CBC that she and her family were preparing to leave Flin Flon, who had lived for three years and felt "significant anxiety".

"It's absolutely disturbing especially for people in a big city (formerly) that don't have to evacuate," she said.

She said Flin Flon's only highway was still stuck in traffic and local radio stations ran out of gas.

“We basically gather all of our basic things, important documents, medicines, and know what our animals need,” she said. “We just go ahead in our own way and hope for the best.”

Prime Minister Kinew said the widespread nature of the fire has raised alarm.

"It's not a fire in one area, we have fires in every area. It's a sign that we have to adapt to climate change," Kinew said.

22 wildfires are active in the province.

Nearly 200,000 hectares of forest have been coking in the past month, or triple the average of the past five years, said Kirstin Hayward of Manitoba Wildfire Services.

“Manitoba has had the highest fire activity in Canada so far this year, partly due to the long period of warm and dry conditions,” she said.

About 1,000 residents of Lynn Lake and Marcel Colomb of Manitoba, 4,000 people from northern Pelicans and other neighborhoods in neighboring Saskatchewan have evacuated earlier this week.

A firefighter was also seriously injured when he was hit by a fallen tree while fighting the fire. Kinew said he is receiving treatment in the hospital.

The Manitoba Prime Minister said emergency shelters are being established and asked companies and communities across the province to "open your door" to displaced residents.

Earlier this month, two residents of the small Lac du Bonnet community died after being trapped in a major wildfire northeast of Winnipeg.