National Weather Service: It is expected that thick smoke from wildfires will once again drift to New York, and wildfires will spread throughout Canada | New York | throughout Canada

According to a report released by the Office of the National Weather Service in New York on June 15th local time, it is expected that the thick smoke generated by wildfires across Canada will once again drift into the New York area starting later that day. It is expected that the thickest smoke in New York will be in the morning of the 16th. However, relevant personnel have stated that the region will not experience the orange haze from last week again, and the vast majority of the thick smoke will remain in high altitude this time.

At the end of May, wildfires in eastern Canada continued to ravage, and thick smoke drifted towards the United States with the wind around May 30th. The pollution caused by wildfires once affected the East Coast and Midwest of the United States, causing a decline in air quality and affecting people's lives in many states.

Why are Canadian wildfires so fierce this year?

In recent weeks, wildfires have been raging throughout Canada, causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Since the beginning of this year, over 46000 square kilometers of Canadian land have been burned down, exceeding the land area of the Netherlands. Canada has entered its worst wildfire season in history. Canadian officials also use "unprecedented" to summarize this year's wildfire season.

Canada has a forest area of 350 million hectares, accounting for approximately one-third of the total land area, and wildfires occur every year. But this year's fires have been particularly widespread, frequent, and intense. What caused Canada's wildfires to be so severe this year? Several media outlets, including the Nature website, BBC, and CBS, have pointed out that climate change driven extreme heat and drought have made Canada a "powder keg". In addition, human behavior is also inevitably to be blamed, from discarded cigarette butts to fires caused by cars.

The uncontrolled wildfire has a serious impact

According to the Canadian Wildfire Information System, the damage caused by wildfires in Canada is 13 times more severe than the average level in the past 10 years. Over 4 million hectares of forests have been burned down across Canada this year, which is twice the historical average.

The Nature website reported that in the past few weeks, the smoke generated by wildfires raging in eastern Canada has worsened the air quality of the country and neighboring United States. The most severely affected area is New York City and its surrounding areas, which are shrouded in "orange haze" and once became the most polluted city in the world.

According to data from Canada's Interdepartmental Forest Fire Protection Center, there are still 426 active fires in the country, located on both the east and west coasts. Among these fires, 232 were marked as "out of control", only 112 were marked as "controlled", and the other 82 were marked as "controlled", which means that the fire has not spread but has not been fully controlled. According to the Canadian National Wildfire Situation Report, Canada is currently in a national level 5 disaster preparedness state.

The New York Times reported that the high levels of fine particulate matter contained in wildfire smoke are harmful to the human body, and continuous exposure can irritate the eyes, throat, and sinuses, making it difficult to breathe and cough. These particles pose more risks to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and pregnant women, and can also worsen people's cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

The Washington Post, on the other hand, stated that the greenhouse gas emissions caused by fires are severe, but their impact on air pollution is even greater. Invisible small particles can enter people's throats, lungs, and even the brain. Approximately 10 million people die each year from air pollution.

Weather is the "culprit"

Why is Canada's wildfires so rampant this year?

Anthony Taylor, a forest management expert at NewBrunswick University, pointed out that weather is the "culprit". In Canada, fires are not uncommon, but this spring, most areas are particularly warm and dry. According to climatologist David Phillips from the Canadian Institute of Environment and Climate Change, May this year was the warmest and driest on record in western Canada. Higher temperature air will absorb moisture from the soil and trees, leaving behind dry trees and shrubs that are prone to turning into a sea of fire.

Carly Phillips, a member of the American Union of Concerned Scientists, also pointed out that temperatures in various Canadian provinces have been higher than usual this year, with prolonged droughts, both of which increase the risk of wildfires, and due to climate change, the situation in some areas is becoming increasingly severe.

Why is Canada so abnormal this spring? At present, scientists have not come to a conclusion, but climate change is undoubtedly a factor that leads to more frequent occurrence of extreme weather.

Human activities are inevitably to be blamed

The Nature website pointed out that most of the fires in western Canadian provinces and the East Coast this year came earlier than usual, some of which may have been caused by human activities such as motor vehicle accidents, off-road vehicle fires, fireworks, or people not extinguishing bonfires. For example, a fire near St. Andrews in New Brunswick province was triggered by an all terrain vehicle igniting surrounding trees.

The fire season in Canada starts earlier and lasts longer. The extreme weather that triggers fires - hot, dry, and windy - is becoming increasingly common in Canada and globally. Although large areas have been burned down this year, fires are still raging and may last for several months.

On June 12th, the Canadian government released its latest outlook for the wildfire season, stating that "due to persistent drought and foreseeable long-term high temperatures, fire activity in most parts of the country may continue to be above normal levels throughout the 2023 wildfire season.".