OTTAWA, Canada – An unusually intense wildfire season in Canada has filled the skies of the Northeast with scenes of smoke and forced the issuance of air quality alerts for millions.
The smoke-filled air is being pumped into the northern tier by a series of weather features. Without an immediate reduction in wildfire activity, communities across North America could be under the threat of smoke for an extended period.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, more than 400 fires are actively burning across the country, which is a result of an ongoing drought and warm temperatures.
Government officials project higher-than-normal fire activity across most of the country throughout the 2023 fire season, but as the summer progresses, western Quebec into central Ontario could see slight improvements, which would be welcome news for the Northeast.
Typically, most wildfires occur between April and September, with the peak over the summer.
While eastern Canada could see a relaxation of wildfire conditions, the government warns fire potential could expand over western parts of the country through the summer.
Forecasters warn the Yukon territory could be one of the prime areas to see fire development due to a continued worsening of soil moisture and dry vegetation.
“Updated modelling shows that the 2023 wildfire season will once again be serious in many areas of Canada. The federal government is working with provincial and territorial counterparts, as well as with Indigenous communities, to ensure continued support for those impacted by these fires. As we battle this year’s fire season, we are also making significant long-term investments to ensure that we are prepared to mitigate and adapt to the effects of future wildfire seasons. Over the past eight years, the federal government has made wildfire management a top priority and will continue to do so,” Jonathan Wilkinson, the Minister of Natural Resources, said in a statement.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the combination of significant wildfire activity and a stiff northerly flow would help to usurer in potentially unhealthy air in the western U.S. if ingredients align.
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On average, in Canada, wildfires burn 6 million acres a year, and already the year’s total has surpassed more than 9 million.
The origins of the extensive fire season can be traced back to the winter, when many communities saw below-normal snowfall.