The wildfire season is breaking records in Canada in every way. No lead time is expected for July and August.
Since the start of the year, 8.8 million hectares have burned in the country, a record, Michael Norton, general manager of Canada’s Northern Forests Center for Natural Resources, said at a news conference Thursday.
“That’s nearly 11 times the decade average,” he added.
The risk of fire remains above average in July and August, according to the ministry’s estimates. Also according to the latter, as of July 5, the number of active fires in the country has risen to 3,412.
Quebec, the worst affected province
Yann Boulanger, a forest ecologist with Natural Resources Canada, notes that Quebec alone has 3.3 million hectares of smoke-smoking forest, making it the province with the largest area of fire.
“One fire in northern Quebec alone has burned more than a million hectares. It’s really huge,” recalls Michael Norton, adding, “We’re only halfway through fire season.” Wildfires in Canada are generally concentrated either in the east or west of the country. Photo Different this year: Both ribs are burning at the same time, which is “very unusual,” according to the general manager of the Northern Forestry Center.
The rains announced in Quebec in the coming days do not appear to cover all of the land affected by the fires, including the northwestern region of the province. Precipitation may not be enough. It will be like “a drop in an empty bucket,” Armelle Castellane, a meteorologist for Environment Canada, told Weather and Preparedness Canada.
Already more than evacuees
The number of evacuees breaks records, amounting to 155,856 — unheard of in 40 years, reports the Department of Natural Resources. Like the distribution of fires throughout the territory, people who had to leave their homes come from different regions.
Since 2000, 40% of bushfire evacuees have come from Indigenous communities, according to Michael Norton. The latter are again overrepresented this year, which is explained by the location of Indigenous Reserves located in or nearby risk areas.
The fires in Canada led to an unprecedented international mobilization. Eleven countries sent forest firefighters.
