Wildfires: Latest News

wildfires rage across the country, casting a dark haze over Canadian skies, many people are staying indoors seeking refuge from the smoky air.But as temperatures heat up in some parts of the country, Canadians may be left wondering if turning on their air conditioners will bring unwelcome smoke and pollutants into their homes.“It’s a little bit complicated. For most Canadians, if they have air conditioning in their home, there is no outdoor air that comes in with that air conditioning,” said Jeffrey Siegel, an engineering professor at the University of Toronto, who also studies indoor air quality.“And so turning on the air conditioning is a good thing to do to keep the temperature down, and it’s an especially good thing to do if you have a good filter in place.”But it depends on the filter and the air conditioner, he said.While some air conditioners can effectively reduce pollutants from wildfire smoke and improve indoor air quality, there are others that might draw smoke into your home.“Wildfire smoke is made up of a whole soup of pollutants,” explained Dr.

Quebec on Sunday as more than 110 wildfires raging in the northern parts of the province set more communities on high alert for new evacuation orders.Environment Canada issued smog warnings for wide swaths of the north, south and west of the province, including Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Longueuil and Trois-Rivières.In Montreal and Ottawa, the air quality health index was listed at 10 or more, a level described as “very high risk.”Environment Canada said the poor air quality due to the forest fires will likely continue until Monday morning, adding the risk is highest for people with lung or heart disease, elderly people, children, pregnant women and those who work outdoors.“Stop any outdoor activities and contact your health care provider if you or someone in your care experience shortness of breath, wheezing (including asthma attacks), severe coughing, dizziness or chest pain,” it wrote.

El Nino may have an effect on Canada’s weather beginning this summer and lasting all the way through the winter.Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada, Armel Castellan, said in a media conference Tuesday that “fairly robust modelling” indicates El Nino will make an impact this year.“We’ve shifted completely at the equatorial Pacific into El Nino conditions, meaning sea surface temperature anomalies are above normal,” said Castellan.“Now, how strong it will be remains to be seen, but it looks to be a fairly strong phenomenon this time around.”Statistically, he noted, the event doesn’t affect Canada’s weather until around Christmas time, when it may bring milder and drier weather for some parts of the country, and wetter weather for areas farther east.“Those typically happen between December and the middle of spring,” he said.Nevertheless, the condition is beginning a month or two earlier this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which “gives it room to grow.” There’s a 56 per cent chance it will be considered strong and a 25 per cent chance it reaches supersized levels, climate scientist Michelle L’Heureux, head of NOAA’s El Nino/La Nina forecast office, told the Associated Press.During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures.The above-normal sea surface temperatures can shift weather patterns across the world, often by moving the paths of storms.Aside from El Nino’s future impact, Environment Canada is warning Canada will see above-normal temperatures until mid-July as the country has experienced a record-breaking wildfire season so far.“Right now, we won’t have a big

firefighters from the European Union will soon be on the ground in Quebec to help their Canadian counterparts tackle a devastating and unprecedented wildfire season.One hundred and nine fire crews from France arrived last Thursday and spent the weekend dousing flames in Quebec, where fires have forced nearly 14,000 people to flee their homes.Another 140 firefighters from Portugal and 97 from Spain are due to arrive in Quebec City on Wednesday, said Claire Kowalewski, the European Union Emergency Response Coordination Centre’s liaison officer in Canada.It’s the first time in the centre’s 22-year history that it has sent firefighters to help in Canada, Kowalewski said.“There is this solidarity,” she said. “Today, unfortunately, it’s Canada that is facing these terrible fires.

carbon price should go ahead as planned, two economists say, even as consumers across Canada are struggling amid the rising cost-of-living and feeling the impacts of a Bank of Canada rate increase.In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, economists pointed to the wildfire smoke engulfing large parts of the continent as a reminder that the climate crisis is still unfolding.“I think at a time when the country is burning and we’re not sure what the future is existentially, we need to do something very serious about climate change,” Armine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, said.She added, “And a carbon tax is something that had had at one point cross-party support. So, let’s just do something.

wildfire conditions west of Edmonton have become extreme again.On Friday night, an evacuation order was issued for the town of Edson and much of Yellowhead County.An 11 p.m. update from the Town of Edson said crews were seeing live embers and fire in Willmore Park, located about five kilometres south of town.“The fire has crossed the (McLeod) River.

wildfire season ever, it’s “all hands-on deck,” but a shortage of firefighters across the country is raising concern for the rest of the season.Canadian soldiers and hundreds of firefighters from other countries have joined the fight amid a staffing crunch and recruitment challenges for their ranks.Months before the wildfire season started, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CFAC)  had warned of diminishing numbers of both career and volunteer firefighters across the country.With the current wildfire season projections signalling some challenging months ahead with a higher-than-normal fire activity, more resources are needed now, said Ken McMullen, CFAC president.“There’s definitely a shortfall.

Canada is seeing an “unprecedented” wildfire season so far, and summer hasn’t even begun.

Premier Danielle Smith says the government is bringing in arson investigators from outside the province to trace the cause of some wildfires during an unprecedented season in Alberta.

Canada could be on track for a “record” level of land burned due to an “unprecedented” wildfire season this year, government officials warn.

A thick layer of smog descended on parts of the province Tuesday as raging wildfires continue to burn in northwestern Quebec.

Special air quality statements are in effect for a large part of Ontario on Tuesday as forest fires rage in Quebec.

wildfire season this year, government officials are warning.Nine provinces and territories are battling blazes that have forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people across the country since early May, officials said in an update Monday.New modelling released Monday shows that the risks of wildfires is set to increase this month and remain “unusually high” throughout the summer in Canada, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said.“Every province and territory will need to be on high alert throughout this wildfire season,” he told reporters, saying that additional firefighting resources will be required moving forward.“While this is not yet Canada’s most severe fire season, if this trajectory continues, it very well could be.”Since the start of the year, 2,214 wildfires have already burned 3.3 million hectares of land – which is “10 times” the normal average for the season, Wilkinson said.As of June 4, more than 400 active fires were burning across the country, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported.Ottawa is giving federal assistance to at least three provinces – Alberta, Nova Scotia and Quebec.The Canadian military as well as hundreds of international firefighters are on the ground giving a much-needed helping hand to local emergency teams.Despite the “very serious projections”, Canada is expected to have enough resources to cover the summer months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.“If things get worse, we ..

wildfires as the eastern province, like other parts of the country, faces a “dangerous” season this year.International firefighters are also coming into the country to help with Canada’s “unprecedented” wildfire situation with blazes in eight jurisdictions promoting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.Federal ministers made the announcement at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday, expressing concern about the early onset of the wildfire season and the ongoing risks to Canadians.Nova Scotia is the second province to receive federal assistance for wildfires this year after Alberta, where a provincial state of emergency is in effect.Last night, we approved the Request for Federal Assistance from the Government of Nova Scotia for support with wildfire response efforts in the province, including @CanadianForces personnel and resources.— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) June 1, 2023“As of this morning, I can confirm that we have approved a request for assistance from the province of Nova Scotia that we received yesterday,” Blair said.Canadian Armed Forces will aid provincial emergency management officials with planning and coordination supports, ignition specialist personnel and equipment, and other firefighting resources.“These additional firefighting resources will be used to relieve firefighters who’ve been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia,” he said.In addition, more than 300 firefighters from the United States and South Africa are heading to Canada in the coming days.Federal officials say at least 100 U.S.

Air Quality Health Index forecasted air quality at 10+ for both cities on Sunday, the worst rating for air quality according to Environment Canada.This means the air quality may pose very serious health risks for residents, especially for the elderly, children and people with respiratory illnesses.The smoke is also expected to linger in Edmonton.“It looks like it’s actually going to stick around until around tomorrow afternoon where we might get a brief reprieve in the smoke,” said Marianna Greenhough, meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.“We can probably see a few thunderstorms possibly pass through tomorrow night …After those thunderstorms go through, it does look like the smoke will come back in again and maybe not quite as terrible as it is today, but it will not be good.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was set to stop in Edmonton on Monday to meet with military personnel who are helping Alberta fight ongoing wildfires.

It’s been two weeks since out-of-control wildfires began forcing evacuation orders in parts of Alberta and the situation remains critical.

evacuation order from Marlboro to the Chip Lake area including the town of Edson was lifted at 8 a.m. Monday and the Yellowhead Highway from Hinton to Edson reopened.“I’m happy to be home,” Bill Lyons said.

over spreading wildfires.“Under the Emergency Management Act the declaration gives the government greater powers to respond to extreme situations for example the province can access emergency funds, mobilize additional supports and continue to work with municipalities, organizations and businesses to support affected residents.“This is not a step that we took lightly but it’s the one that allows for the quickest and most effective response.”Smith added that the safety of Albertans is the most important thing.“The safety and well-being of those affected remains our top priority. We will keep Albertans informed as the situation changes through daily briefings from department officials.”“I want to … assure everyone that our province has the right tools, the right technology and the right resources in place to tackle this challenge and people will get the supports that they need.”“We’ll spend whatever it takes.

wildfires were discovered across Alberta amid high temperatures, dangerously dry conditions and high winds on Thursday.More than 10,000 people across Alberta are now affected in some way or another by mandatory evacuation orders.There were many Alberta Emergency Alerts issued and updated throughout the day as the fires grew and threatened more properties.A 6 p.m.

Monday marks the five-year anniversary of one of the largest mass evacuations in Canadian history as the flames from what quickly became a catastrophic wildfire began to relentlessly wind their way through Fort McMurray, Alta.In all, 88,000 people were forced to flee their homes, many in frightening fashion, as they were forced to drive near or even through flames as they made their way out of the northern Alberta community on the only road out of town.The mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the political jurisdiction that Fort McMurray is situated in, acknowledges the impact the natural disaster continues to have on the community as he reflects on the fire.“I meet young people all the time who still have bad dreams, who

wind-driven wildfires erupted on Sunday in the heart of northern California’s Napa Valley wine country and spread across more than 1,000 acres (404 hectares), forcing the evacuation of several hundreds homes and a hospital, authorities said.Fire crews were out in force, scrambling to fend off flames threatening neighborhoods and vineyards in the northwest corner of the famed wine-growing valley, about 75 miles (120 km) north of San Francisco.The blaze, dubbed the Glass Fire, broke out before dawn near Calistoga and raced toward the adjacent towns of Deer Park and St. Helena, with flames advancing to within a mile of the Adventist Health St.

massive wildfires in Oregon, California and Washington state are constantly on the verge of exhaustion as they try to save suburban houses, including some in their own neighborhoods. Each home or barn lost is a mental blow for teams trained to protect lives and property.And their own safety is never assured.

U.S. wildfires burning in Washington, Oregon and California has made its way to western Canada and is having visible impacts on air quality in several provinces.Grey skies and thick smoke have clouded parts of Manitoba and Ontario while most of British Columbia and Alberta continue to experience poor air quality brought on by the incoming pollution.Anthony Farnell, chief meteorologist with Global News, said the fires “grew rapidly” over Labour Day weekend as record high temperatures collided with strong winds.The smoke from the U.S.

wildfires raging across the Pacific Northwest destroyed hundreds of homes in Oregon, the governor said Wednesday, warning it could be the greatest loss of life and property from wildfire in state history.The blazes from the top of the state to the California border caused highway closures and smoky skies and had firefighers struggling to contain and douse flames fanned by 50 mph (80 kph) wind gusts. Officials in some western Oregon communities gave residents “go now” orders to evacuate, meaning they had minutes to flee their homes.

gender-reveal party triggered a wildfire in southern California that’s scorched more than 7,000 acres and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, local fire officials said.The fire was caused by a “smoke-generating pyrotechnic device” used at a party Saturday morning in El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, about 140 kilometres east of Los Angeles, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said on Sunday.“The fire spread from the park to the north on to Yucaipa Ridge that separates Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls from the City of Yucaipa,” Cal Fire officials said in a press release.“With the dry conditions and critical fire weather, it doesn’t take much to start a wildfire.

It may be mid-April, but fire season, believe it or not, is underway in British Columbia.