Canada could be on track for a “record” level of land burned due to an “unprecedented” wildfire season this year, government officials warn.
As of Wednesday, 414 wildfires were burning in Canada with 239 out of control, keeping 20,183 Canadians out of their homes, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said.
So far this year, 2,293 wildfires have torched 3.8 million hectares of land. The wildfires have left a trail of destruction across Canada, and their effects have been felt far beyond the impacted communities with smoke blanketing much of the nation.
Global News is committed to continuing extensive local and national coverage of the wildfires, their impacts on Canadian communities, and how the fires and spreading smoke fit into the broader conversations around protecting your health and coping with climate change.