Huge wildfire risk looms over majority of Canada this summer
As Canada swelters under extreme heat, the federal government says to expect the rest of the summer to bring extreme fire risks for huge swaths of the country.
On Thursday, the Canadian government provided an update on the remainder of the 2023 wildfire season, with it already being classified as Canada’s most severe on record.
Recent projections show a continued potential for higher-than-normal fire activity across most of the country thanks to long-range forecasts for warm temperatures and ongoing drought.
For July, warm and dry conditions will increase wildfire risk from BC and Yukon through to western Labrador, with the forecast severity anomaly map for July showing a “well above average” risk from BC to western Ontario.
Government of Canada
Flipping into August, the area at risk will stretch from BC through western Quebec, with all of Alberta and Manitoba in the “well above average” category, along with massive portions of BC, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.
Government of Canada
“From personal losses and evacuation orders to poor air quality — Canadians right across the country have felt the impacts of this challenging wildfire season,” said Bill Blair, president of the King’s Privy Council and minister of emergency preparedness, in a news release.
“The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre is coordinating international deployments, and we are grateful for the assistance Canada has received from around the world and for the tireless efforts of our Canadian firefighters and emergency management teams.”
You can check out current information on national fire conditions through NRCan’s Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.
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