High winds coupled with a warm, dry spring are fuelling a wave of forest fires across western Canada and parts of Ontario.
More than 200 fires were reported across the country as of Tuesday morning, half of which are labelled out of control.
Wildfires have already burned close to 2.2 million hectares this year, equivalent to the size of about 4 million football fields. At about seven times its ten-year average, the burn area is unusually large for this time of year.
Communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been shrouded in smoke, and air quality alerts have been issued across the provinces and bordering U.S. states.
With summer still weeks away, this year’s fire season is running far ahead of schedule. Here’s what you should know.
Which areas are most affected?
The worst blazes have occurred in the prairie provinces, leading led Saskatchewan and Manitoba to declare province-wide emergencies in late May.
Saskatchewan
The Shoe fire in Saskatchewan’s Narrow Hills Provincial Park has scorched more than 400,000 hectares — roughly 18 times the size of the city of Saskatoon — and is threatening 11 communities.
To the north, a 83,000 hectare fire in La Ronge, Sask, forced several neighbouring communities to evacuate. On Monday , the fire had crossed into the town’s airport.
The evacuation also included 45 acute and long-term care patients from the care homes and a health centre in La Rouge, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said.
In total, more than 8,000 people, or about 30 communities, have been ordered to evacuate so far. There are 18 fires across the province, around half of which are uncontained.
It’s already shaping up to be the worst wildfire season Saskatchewan has seen in recent memory.
Manitoba
In Manitoba, more than 17,000 residents, including 5,000 people from Flin Flon, a mining city located near the Saskatchewan border, were forced to evacuate from their homes. The smoke has been too thick for water bombers to reach, leaving firefighters struggling to contain the blazes.
Multiple fires beset the First Nations communities of Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Pukatawagan, prompting the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to make an urgent plea for emergency response on May 30.
The fires made the roads inaccessible stranding close to 4,000 members from both communities. Military planes carried out the evacuations save for a handful of holdouts who have so far refused to leave.
Many of the evacuees have been allowed to carry only one bag with them and are told it might be weeks before they have a chance to return.
The province has 25 fires, 10 of which are out of control.
With accommodations in cities and First Nations communities becoming scarce, evacuees have had to be flown outside the province. Hundreds of Pimicikamak Cree Nation residents have been taken to Niagara Falls, Ont., where hotel rooms are becoming difficult to wrangle.
Many of the evacuees have been allowed to carry only one bag with them and have been told it might be weeks before they have a chance to return.
In mid-May, two people were reported dead in Lac du Bonnet, Man., a little over an hour’s drive from Winnipeg, where evacuation orders were in place.
Alberta
Cooler weather mild showers kept fires from escalating overnight in Alberta, but the rest of the week is expected to bring warmer weather. More than 4,500 people have been ordered to leave their homes, including the town of Swan Hills, located northwest of Edmonton. The fires have claimed more than 500,000 hectares, primarily in the province’s northwest.
Of the 53 active wildfires in Alberta, 24 are out of control and six are being held, meaning the fire is expected to be contained under given conditions. The province has had 505 wildfires this season.
The province’s oil sands sector has also been affected, shutting down about seven per cent of Canada’s oil production, or about 350,000 barrels a day, according to Bloomberg.
British Columbia
Nearly all of the wildfires are concentrated in the province’s Northeast corner. A third evacuation order has been issued in Prince George as winds in excess off 50 kilometres per hour this week are expected to fan the flames toward the Alberta border. Much of the land is severely drought-stricken, according to Agriculture Canada.
This week, a major clean up response took place after a fire near Summit Lake cut off 160 km of the Alaska highway close to Fort Nelson, B.C. The major arterial roadway, which connects Alaska to the Yukon, was shut down for much of Tuesday. It reopened to a single lane that evening, according to the Drive B.C. website.
Ontario
Several high-risk fires are burning in northern Ontario. Several First Nations communities have been evacuated since May and two have declared states of emergencies.
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, located west of Kenora, were placed under evacuation orders in mid-May. Fires started near the Manitoba border and have since scorched more than 36,000 hectares.
Evacuations for Webequie First Nation, in Nipigon, where the fires have blackened 8,000 hectares, were carried out last week, and more than 400 members relocated. Deer Lake First Nation was also being evacuated this week, with 1,300 members needing relocation.
What caused the fires?
A majority of the fires have been man-made, as is typical for this time of year.
Of the 111 total wildfires in Manitoba this season, 100 are believed to be human-caused while six are under investigation and another five are believed natural.
Over the weekend, Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe estimated that people were to blame for 90 per cent of fires in the province. Man made fires entail anything from burns that spread out of control, campfires that were left unattended, discarded cigarettes or, as in some cases, an act of malice.
Lightning becomes the primary driver starting in June, and these fires are usually the most devastating. During 2023’s record-breaking fire season, lightning accounted for 93 per cent of the area burned.
How unusual is this season?
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Manitoba are seeing larger fires at this point in the year than their five-year average.
In Central Canada, a combination of weather conditions — including warm temperatures, drought and lack of humidity — made fires more prone to spread.
Manitoba exceeded average temperatures by double digits in the spring. Parts of Saskatchewan where fires are active were also several degrees warmer than average. Alberta also experienced a warm spring and is braced for heatwaves leading into summer.
Current models forecast Central Canada will remain dry and hot throughout the summer.
Fires have also been whipped up by strong winds and a lack of meaningful rains, conditions which are set to persist in much of the fire-stricken until later this week.
What about the smoke?
Hundreds of communities are under Environment Canada’s air quality warnings. The severity of smoke in any particular area can depend on factors such as wind direction, speed and fire proximity, according to the agency.
A large part of southern and central Manitoba has been blanketed with hazardous levels of smoke. Advisories have also been issued for communities in northern Alberta, northern Saskatchewan and north western Ontario.
Smoke caused by the wildfires has extended from the Midwest states into the plains and even as far southeast as Georgia. Minnesota, in particular, was placed under a statewide advisory, while multiple bordering states have advised their people to reduce exposure by staying inside as much as possible and keeping doors and windows shut.
Health authorities are recommending the use of air filters at home or for going to locations with filtered air, such as libraries or malls.
U.K. skies were also covered in a dull haze this week as smoke apparently carried across the Atlantic. Fumes also blew over into the Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Greece a little over two weeks ago, with more expected in the coming weeks, according to the climate monitoring service Copernicus. The haze is hovering at high altitudes and poses no health risks, experts say, but has obscured the sun in an orangish haze.
What are the risks of exposure to wildfire smoke?
Wildfires release small particles in the air that are more harmful than regular air pollution. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency map shows moderate to severe concentrations of particles known as PM2.5 and ozone levels, in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.
These particles are used as a measure of air quality, with moderate levels affecting sensitive groups and more severe levels causing severe discomfort and even death. Young people, the elderly and those with heart and lung conditions are particularly at risk. At unhealthy levels, studies show an increase in stroke, heart attack and lung cancer among those who inhale wildfire smoke.
“Ground-level ozone and PM2.5 cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems and lead to tens of thousands
of premature deaths, with costs of more than $100 billion, each year,” guidelines from the NOAA states.
Wildfire smoke contributes to nearly 18,000 deaths a year, according to the Lung Health Foundation. It recommends keeping an emergency kit, filtering indoor air and checking carbon monoxide monitors to stay protected. At severe levels, the use of an air conditioner is not recommended. Instead, it is advised to check local governments for nearby cooling locations.
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