Forest fires have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 Canadian
provinces and territories this year, forcing home evacuations,
disrupting energy production, and drawing in federal as well as
international firefighting resources. Four firefighters have
been killed in the line of duty.
So far about 134,000 square kilometers (52,000 square miles) of
land have been scorched, more than six times a 10-year average,
and nearly 168,000 people have been forced to evacuate at some
point this season.
"This summer has turned into a challenging marathon," Canadian
Forest Service official Michael Norton told a media briefing on
Friday.
"Our most recent projections indicate the potential for
higher-than-normal fire activity remains across much of Canada
in August and September," Norton said.
Norton said the simultaneous flaring up of blazes across the
country was "virtually unheard of" and largely due to drought
conditions that continue to intensify in some areas and will
contribute to ongoing fire activity through late summer.
"In September, we anticipate that the potential area at extreme
risk will become a bit smaller ... (however) large existing
fires will continue burning or smoldering and new problematic
fires can occur anywhere."
The fires have also sent plumes of smoke across Canadian and
U.S. skies, raising health alarms and concerning scientists
about the impact on the atmosphere.
The EU's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service estimated
last week that Canadian wildfires have released 290 million
metric tons of carbon, over 25% of the global total for 2023 to
date, and emissions are set to rise as hundreds of flames rage
on.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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