In pictures, in pictures – For more than a month, Canada has been hit by “catastrophic and historic” wildfires. Smoke from it has already blanketed much of the northeastern United States.
2214 fires have already burned 3.3 million hectares. Here’s the terrifying data on the unprecedented scale of fires that have been ravaging Canada for more than a month, according to the federal government. Nearly 120,000 people have already been evacuated, leaving 26,200 people from their homes.
In early May, the western part of the country burns
The first area to catch fire in early May was in the western province of Alberta. Canada then tried to contain hundreds of wildfires by declaring a state of emergency on May 6. Nearly 30,000 people were ordered to leave their homes in a matter of days as more than two dozen fires burned out of control. Western Province, home to the world’s third-largest oil reserves, trembled at the threat.
A landscape burned by wildfires in Wild Hay, Alberta, Canada on May 10, 2023. Megan Albu / AFP
About 2,500 firefighters and 400 soldiers from across Canada have arrived to battle the blaze in Alberta.
Burnt terrain near the entrance to the Wild Hay area in Alberta, Canada, May 10, 2023. Megan Albu / AFP
By mid-May, the fire had spread to four different regions: Alberta, but also Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. On May 17, Canada launched an appeal for international assistance.
Firefighters battle a wildfire near Fort St. John in British Columbia on May 14, 2023. Kamloops Fire Rescue / Reuters
This image, obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows smoke moving eastward from a wildfire in the western Canadian province of Alberta on May 20, 2023 at 17:20UTC. AFP PHOTO/NASA/KOS
In late May, Nova Scotia catches fire
At the end of May, the eastern part of the country became the focus of the fires. Nearly 16,000 people have been forced from their homes in suburbs northeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The flames threatened the city of more than 400,000 people.
Smoke rises from a wildfire near Lake Barrington in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia on May 29, 2023. Handbook / Government of Nova Scotia / AFP
Smoke rises from a wildfire near Lake Barrington in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia on May 29, 2023. Handbook / Government of Nova Scotia / AFP
Zach Ruffus, a Port Williams firefighter with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services, works to put out a fire in the Tantalon area on May 30, 2023. Handout / AFPHandout / Government of Nova Scotia / AFP
An aerial view of the fire in Shelburne County on May 31, 2023. Handbook / Government of Nova Scotia / AFP
In early June, rain fell as Nova Scotia firefighters battled the blaze. 85% of wildfires threatening Halifax containedOut of control“to”stable“.
From flames in Quebec to smoke in New York
But Canada could not give any respite. Hundreds of fires raged in Quebec, west of Nova Scotia.
An aerial view of a forest fire in Chibokama, northern Quebec on June 5, 2023. Kevin Burton/AFP
Smoke from the fire drifted 800 km south of Quebec and blacked out New York.
This satellite image from NASA’s Earth Observatory taken on June 7, 2023, shows smoke billowing across New York and Pennsylvania. AFP
The city of more than 8.5 million people was shrouded in an eerie yellow-orange haze. The city has actually overtaken New Delhi as the most polluted city in the world by a few hours.
The Statue of Liberty is covered in smoke from wildfires in Canada on June 7, 2023 in New York City. David Dee Delgado/AFP
The Empire State Building is engulfed in orange fog on June 7, 2023 in New York. David Dee Delgado/AFP
Officials have advised those at risk to stay home and protect themselves with masks. “If you’re a New Yorker with heart or respiratory problems, be careful when you go outside», “Try to limit outdoor activities today to what is absolutely necessary“, they warned on Twitter.
Pedestrians view the skyline of Lower Manhattan as smoke from wildfires causes hazy conditions in Canada on June 7, 2023. Angela Weiss/AFP
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 214 fires are still active across the country, 93 of which are out of control. So Joe Biden offered his help to Canada on Wednesday, June 7. “The president has directed his team to deploy all federal firefighting assets to help quickly extinguish fires affecting Canadian and American communities.The White House said in a statement.
An airplane flies past the sun on June 7, 2023, as smoke from wildfires in Canada creates a hazy atmosphere in Washington, DC. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP
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