Causes.com
| 6.28.23
Forest Fires Ravage Canada, Raising Health Alerts
Are you worried about the rising frequency of forest fires?
Updated June 28, 2023
- Over 80 million people remain under air quality warnings on the East Coast and in the Midwest.
- According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, more than 250 of Canada's forest fires are burning “out of control,” leading to the highest annual emissions on record for the country.
- The following states are under sweeping air quality warnings: Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Parts of Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are under warnings as well.
- Chicago and Detroit had the worst air quality in the world Tuesday night. Heavy smoke is expected to return to New York later today and into Thursday.
- Wildfire smoke contains PM2.5, a particulate matter that can enter the lung tissue and bloodstream when inhaled. It can lead to respiratory problems and heart disease.
Updated June 9, 2023
- Smoke from the Canadian forest fires is lifting over Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with poor air quality peaking late Wednesday, and is now moving south and east.
- Millions of Americans in the Northeast are still under air quality warnings, and people with asthma or pre-existing conditions are advised to take precautions.
- The smoke from the over 400 forest fires currently blazing throughout Canada can be seen from space and is obscuring the view of numerous Earth-observing satellites.
- Over 43,000 sq km have burned so far this year, making 2023 the second-worst year for fires on record — and the summer fire season has not even begun.
- The smoke has led to the cancellation or delay of over 330 flights thus far.
An intense, early fire season
- Forest fires have been raging across nearly every province in Canada, prompting air quality alerts throughout the U.S. as the smoke moves south and west.
- Canada is facing an exceptionally early and intense wildfire season, with forecasts indicating that the warm and dry conditions will persist for several months.
- Wildfires have engulfed nearly all of Canada's 10 provinces and territories, hitting Quebec the hardest. Quebec alone has 160 fires raging, with many ignited by lightning strikes. Western Canada has frequent forest fires, but the flames' severity in the east is unprecedented.
- The fires have consumed nearly 13,000 square miles of land — 13 times the 10-year average. As a result, over 120,000 people have been temporarily displaced from their homes.
Health alerts
- Even low concentrations of wildfire smoke can harm health. Individuals with lung or heart diseases, older adults, children, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the health risks associated with wildfire smoke.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the air quality in much of the north-east as "unhealthy," especially for people with respiratory concerns. In total, nearly 100 million people around North America are under an air quality warning.
- Concerns over air pollution have prompted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to issue a health advisory for several counties, including the five boroughs of New York City. To minimize the risk of adverse health effects, residents are encouraged to reduce strenuous outdoor activities.
- Toronto and New York briefly ranked among the cities with the worst air quality in the world overnight.
- The Canadian capital of Ottawa, located near Quebec, has a 10+ warning, the highest on the air quality index, indicating a "very high risk."
What's next?
- Experts are monitoring the situation, as Canada's forest fire season usually ramps up in July and August. Canadian officials say the country is preparing for the worst wildfire season on record.
- Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the U.S., Mexico, South Africa, and France, who have sent firefighters to help combat the wildfires.
Are you worried about the rising frequency of forest fires?
—Emma Kansiz
(Photo Credit: Twitter/New York University)
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There are 414 wildfires burning (15X the 10 year average) of which 239 are out of control across 10 provinces, the worst being the eastern province of Quebec where there are 163 fires (117 out of control) but the province can only fight 40 of them. 9.4M acres have already burned threatening critical infrastructure (roads and rural closures, telecommunication interruptions, high voltage power lines).
600 US firefighters are already in Canada to help. US air quality alerts have been issued due to air pollution indexes being 8X normal in over a dozen U.S. states from Vermont to South Carolina and as far west as Ohio and Kansas.
Schools have moved all outdoor activities (sports practices, field trips, recesses, graduations, etc) indoors. A broadway show was interrupted, Major League Baseball teams (Phillies, Yankees), Women's Soccer League match in NY and WNBA women's basketball in Brooklyn game postponed games.
The Air Quality Index (AQI), measuring pollutants (particulate matter from fires) was above 400 (the scale has 100 as "unhealthy" and 300 as "hazardous”),
Red Cross recommendations:
(1) Keep windows and doors closed.
(2) Use fans and air conditioning to stay cool.
(3) Set up a portable air cleaner or a filter
(4) Avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products or vacuum.
(5) If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from the smoke. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.
(5) If you’re in your car, set the air to recirculate.
(6) Pay attention to any health symptoms (asthma, COPD, heart disease, etc) (7) Use N95 face masks or respirator masks.
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2023/what-you-should-do-as-canadian-wildfire-smoke-moves-across-us.html
https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/politics/2023/6/7/1_6431378.amp.html
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-states-under-air-quality-alerts-canadian-smoke-drifts-south-2023-06-07/
We have had our share of California smoke from their fires. Be sure to use your furnace fan and A/C ito filter out the particulates. You can purchase a good air filter and attach it to your box fan with duct tape also. Check your filters more often, like every two weeks. These fires not only produce particulates from the tress and brush but also anything folks dump off in the woods. And what ever a house fire produces. These particles get into your system and health officials are not sure how it effects our health in general. We have never had fires like this, where they analyze the health hazards. Bring out your Covid masks when going outside. Stay safe.
Luckily none of these fires are near me, but I'm very concerned with how the climate crisis is causing an increase in forest fires throughout the world, but especially our continent. Now fires as far away as Canada are affecting the air quality in large portions of the US for days at a time, which is a health concern.
We must resist the tyranny of the climate deniers, because they don't care about our health or our future. We must stop climate change by acting now to reduce greenhouse gases and pollution.
I honestly have no idea what the faces are supposed to represent, but the idea that we're allowing stuff like this to happen and there are still people who are like "climate change is totally a normal thing Earth does" makes me mad.
You know what? Let's say for a moment that climate change isn't man-made. How does that equate to "we shouldn't try to mitigate it anyway"? Even if the Earth were warming naturally, like some people want to claim, wouldn't it make sense to do everything in our power to avoid the catastropic results we're already seeing?
These forest fires are just the beginning of the coming apocalpse.
Not the biblical one the man-made ones---the Climate Crisis/Climate Catastrophe and the Anthropogenic Mass Extinctions!
This will continue off and on as the weather gets hotter with the coming of Summer.
This will only get worse.
By the way, scientists are predicting the North Pole will be ice-free in 10 years or so.
I was thinking water may be the commodity to invest in, as Nestle and other companies are buying up water rights. However, clean air may very well be the smartest investment ever. The children's book, "Just a Dream", by Chris VanAllsburg is a fantastical adventure exploring a world where the planet is so toxic, that people have to wear masks to breathe. This 1990's book nailed it!
Fire season is coming earlier, ending later, they're bigger, destroying more and more habitats, property, people, and animals. Insurance companies are refusing to issue policies. But, we have Manchin and the like insisting on dirty oil drilling.
The message has been clear for decades. We NEED to move towards clean, renewable energy resources worldwide. This takes government action...you know, with a sense of URGENCY!!!
Yes, and I expect it to get a LOT worse before it gets better.
The one thing that bothers me about these forest fires is the fact that they destroy the oxygen producing trees and plants that allow the rest of us to continue our lives. It is safe to say that all the missile launching, bombings, military vehicle usage in various wars around the world aren't helping matters any. On top of that, the raping of the land of fossil fuels and the refining of them aren't helping either. This damage needs to be stopped ASAP and to hell with those who obtain their wealth through such activities. I'm fed up with all this BS and I guarantee my votes will speak for themself in every election I can vote in.
Yes it is very bad in Northern Michigan. The smoke is thick. My main excersize is walking but I am afraid to be out there in it too long. Yes, I use my Covid masks but still it is no fun.
Climate change has caused heat beyond what areas expect and is drying out forests making them more vulnerable to fires.
We all need to be especially the climate deniers!
Why is the US not suing Canada for this? I thought the rule was to make the polluters pay. If we can allow children to sue a state in the us for climate reasons, we should also be able to sue another country
Canada is in part responsible for their fires as they've been mining dirty tar sands for the oil it them, destroying acres of habitat and releasing who knows how much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
The Amazon has been clearcut for decades (illegally) turning it from a carbon sink to a carbon emitter and disrupting the movement of moisture in the air - there is an entire cloud ecosystem at the top of that rainforest that is being lost and it affects ecosystems on the other side of the globe.
As the Antarctic ice is melting the saltiness of the ocean is diluted, disrupting the deep sea ocean currents that affect climates in northern Canada and in Europe.
Add to that the increasing depletion of underground aquifers which has actually affected the tilt of the planet!
We have run out ot time, we no longer have decades or even years to reduce our addiction to fossil fuels and individuals can't make these shifts, large corporations must make it possible for individuals who are poor to survive the inevitable collapse of our livable climate.
Countries and states need to manage forestry with controlled burns
It could happen here as temps go up
Yes, I am worried about this! Here in Western PA it's hazy and outside has an acrid smell like burning tires. So, yes, I am worried!
Everyone on The Hill should be worried as well.
I'm unhappy about them but like most things you ask if I am worried about it, I have no control over it so all I can do is deal with the situation as it is.
Canada has poor forest management. We should watch
We have not taken care of our only home, and we are suffering the results. We must stop our dependence on fossil fuels.
Consequences, DUH!
Please free up the Forestry Service so they cananage the deadfall on forest floorrs that acts as fuel for fires.
More controled burns will reduce risk.
YES!!!!! The # and severity of env. disasters is only going to get worse as climate change gets worse. If we don't take aggressive action on a global scale we can all kiss our asses goodbye.
I've been worried for years. Here on the west coast we have summers go by when ashes rained on our gardens and entire towns burned down! Fire has gotten as close as 20 miles. Scary!
Welcome to our future. "Mad Max" was not science fiction; it was prediction.
Yes I am worried about the forest fires and the resulting smoke negatively impacting the air that I breathe and potentially affecting my health. Any reasoning person should be worried about this. Life expectancy in the US has declined and this will make that statistic worse. All of us need to cooperate in trying to slow climate change.
Climate change!
Product of poor forest management. Environment activists "save a tree, burn the forest"