207 wildfires are still in a "out of control" state, and wildfires in Canada continue to spread. Introduction | Canada | Wildfires
The latest data released by the Canadian Interdepartmental Forest Fire Service shows that over 400 wildfires have occurred across Canada recently. As of June 10th local time, there are still 207 wildfires in a state of "out of control". In addition to affecting various parts of Canada, wildfires have also led to an increase in air pollution index in the East Coast and Midwest regions of the United States.
The wildfire in Canada has affected a wide range, including Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, and other provinces. According to Bill Blair, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness in Canada, as of now, over 2.7 million hectares of land in Canada have been burnt, more than 10 times the average burning area of the same period in the past decade. He said, "Previously, wildfires were common in western Canadian provinces, but this year the eastern province of Nova Scotia has also experienced the most severe fires in history."
Quebec, Alberta, and Nova Scotia in Canada have all experienced record high temperatures this year. The average temperature in some areas of Alberta in May was over 12 degrees Celsius higher than in previous years. Since February, the Atlantic region where Nova Scotia is located has been continuously affected by severe drought, experiencing the driest April on record. Meanwhile, due to insufficient forest management measures and warning capabilities, a large amount of combustible materials accumulate on the surface of forest land, accelerating the spread of wildfires.
According to Canadian media reports, out of control wildfires have forced over 100000 people to leave their homes. Due to the impact of fires, the air quality in Ottawa and Toronto has posed a high risk to public health. Fires have also had a direct impact on the oil industry in some regions of Canada. According to the website of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, about 80% of the country's oil is produced in Alberta, and wildfires have caused several oil companies in the province to suspend production. According to Reuters, Alberta has reduced its daily production by 319000 barrels of oil. At present, the benchmark price of Canadian heavy oil has risen to its highest level in several months.
Due to the significant southward movement of haze caused by Canadian wildfires, some areas of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York in the United States have been polluted in the air. At 5 pm on June 7th, the air quality index in New York had reached a "dangerous level", which was also the worst air quality in the area since the 1960s. On the 8th, the United Nations headquarters in New York also gave up raising flags for the first time due to air quality issues.
According to the website of the Canadian Department of Natural Resources, Canada is in a maximum level 5 state of alert, with the Coast Guard, Armed Forces, Department of Transportation, and Public Health all participating in firefighting and rescue operations. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, said that it is abnormal for so many fires to break out nationwide, and the worst-case scenario may not have arrived yet. He believes that if the wildfires continue to spread at the current rate, the country will experience the most severe wildfires on record. Wilkinson said, "More frequent and extreme wildfires indicate that Canada is being affected by climate change. It is expected that by 2050, the forest area destroyed by wildfires will double. This is worth reflecting on."
