Int’l help rolls in to fight persistent Canadian wildfires
Allies around the world have promised to increase their help to Canada in its fight against hundreds of blazes that have swept through the country in its worst-ever start to wildfire season.
Forest fires that have gathered strength over the last month have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes and sent a smoky haze billowing over a large swath of the United States, Reuters reported. The fires have impacted mining operations in Canada and disrupted flights in the United States. On Thursday the Toronto District School Board, Canada’s largest, rescheduled or moved indoors all outside activities, including field trips and local school events.
Although wildfires are common in Canada, it is unusual for blazes to be burning simultaneously in the east and west, stretching firefighting resources, forcing the government to send in the military to help, and fueling concerns about the worsening consequences of climate change.
NY schools, restaurants shut
Smoke from raging wildfires in Canada was spreading further into southern and western areas, giving New York and the nearby northeastern coast a brief respite as pollution levels dipped slightly.
An orange haze has blanketed the metropolis for two days, independent.co.uk reported.
Pollution still remained at an “unhealthy” level in New York, Washington DC and Philadelphia but has been downgraded from the “code purple” seen on Wednesday and Thursday.
Wildfire smoke is now set to reach states as far as Georgia and Louisiana down south, while also drifting westward to Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Illinois.
At least 13 states have issued air quality alerts, impacting an estimated 115 million people.
Schools moved to remote classes in New York on Friday, while baseball games were postponed and several restaurants shut as smoke billowed from Canada’s devastating wildfires.
There are more than 400 wildfires raging there and have led to mass evacuations in Quebec Province.
Canadian officials warned this could be the country’s worst wildfire season on record, with over 6.7 million acres already scorched.