Hundreds of fires are currently raging in Canada. With concern, the government of the North American country is now preparing for a particularly violent wildfire season. In the meantime, the smoke has even shrouded the American metropolis of New York in a misty veil.
“Our model calculations show that there could be a particularly tough wildfire season this summer,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference in the capital, Ottawa, on Monday (local time). Indicators for this include the ongoing drought and forecasts for longer periods of warm weather.
responsible for climate change
“Every year, wildfires due to climate change are getting worse — and they’re starting to happen in places that wouldn’t normally happen.” For weeks, the province of Alberta in western Canada has been battling devastating wildfires. Numerous fires are also raging in Québec, in the northeast of the country. In the southeastern province of Nova Scotia, the situation had recently eased somewhat.
More than half got out of hand
According to data from Sunday afternoon, there are 413 active fires in several provinces of the country, more than half of which are out of control, the government said. An evacuation order was therefore issued for some 26,200 people. There have already been more than 2,200 fires this year and more than three million hectares have burned.
That is more than eleven times the average of the past ten years. “We are already experiencing one of the worst wildfire seasons on record and are preparing for a long summer,” said Environment and Climate Change Secretary Steven Guilbeault.
With climate change, experts warn that wildfires will become more frequent and destructive. In western Canada’s prairie provinces, average temperatures have risen 1.9 degrees Celsius since the mid-20th century, according to the Department of Environment and Climate Change.
New York suffers from very unhealthy air
The numerous wildfires are also noticeable on the east coast of the US. The smoke from hundreds of fires in eastern Canada had moved south and had now arrived in the American metropolis of New York, the “New York Times” reported late Tuesday evening (local time). Photos showed how cloudy the sky was over the Manhattan skyline. The city warned of poor air quality.
After measurements taken at 10 p.m. (local time), New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the air in parts of the city had become “very unhealthy,” the newspaper further reported. In the Canadian metropolitan areas of Ottawa and Toronto, as well as in the US states of Minnesota and Massachusetts, authorities warned residents about bad air.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
