Fires in Canada continue to spread smoke waves that reach the northeastern United States, where more than one hundred million people (a third of the US population) are affected by the effects of the ecological disaster. This year’s wildfire season, which is just beginning, will be “probably the worst in Canadian history,” with “huge consequences here in the United States,” US President Joe Biden said.
Flights delayed due to low visibility, outdoor events cancelled, schools closed – the fires have tangible consequences on the lives of the residents, writes AFP, according to Agerpes.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, more than 111 million people were affected by the alerts issued regarding the decline in air quality in much of the northeastern United States. The US population is nearly 335 million people, according to the United States Census Bureau.
The region is not used to such smoke, unlike the western US.
Significant fires occurred especially earlier this year in Quebec, and their smoke is pushed directly south due to weather conditions.
In the capital Washington, the situation worsened on Thursday compared to Wednesday, with the air pollution alert temporarily reaching the level of “purple” (very unhealthy), before being downgraded to “red” (unhealthy) in the late afternoon.
A Pride Month event scheduled in front of the White House Thursday night was postponed, as was a professional baseball game.
“I’ve never seen anything like it”
Concerns are mainly about the health of fragile people, such as children, the elderly or people with heart or respiratory problems.
Hospital emergency room visits associated with asthma attacks are on the rise in New York, a spokesman for the city’s health department said. But these “several hundred” patients do not overload the services, he said.
Impressive images of New York enveloped in an orange glow circulated on the internet on Wednesday, with the sky clearing up on Thursday.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Linda Juliano, 65, accepting one of the millions of masks distributed to New Yorkers. “Seeing the sky full of smoke reminded me a lot of September 11,” she added to AFP, stating that the situation was “agonizing.”
Zoos in the Bronx and Central Park were closed, as were those in Washington, and New York public school students will resume remote classes on Friday.
At airports in New York (La Guardia, Newark) and Philadelphia, flights suffered delays due to reduced visibility, the Civil Aviation Agency, FAA, said.
Biden: ‘Probably the worst’ fire season ever
Global warming exacerbates the risk of fires and their intensity. The increase in temperatures, the increase in heat waves and the reduction of rainfall in some places represent an ideal combination for starting fires.
While no study has yet been conducted to assess the link between the current fires in Quebec and climate change, “the conditions we are seeing in Canada are in line with the warnings of climate experts,” Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for the secretary, said Thursday general of the UN.
Citing both smoke from wildfires and a resurgence of flooding across the United States, a White House spokesman, Andrew Bates, criticized the Republican opposition for “adhering to debunked conspiracy theories, denying the existence and nature of climate change.”
Joe Biden, who spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, promised to help fight the fires.
This year’s Canadian fire season, which has just begun, will be “probably the worst in the history” of the country, with “huge consequences here in the United States,” the US president said.
Fires out of control
With almost 800,000 hectares affected by fires, according to the authorities, Quebec is already facing a historic season. Since January, there have been twice as many fires compared to the average of the last 10 years.
On Thursday, there were more than 150 active fires in the province of Quebec, of which almost 90 were out of control. New reinforcements – American, French, Portuguese – are expected in the next period.
The situation remains worrying in several regions, according to Stéphane Caron of the Society for the Protection of Forests against fires. “We’re only at the beginning of this fire season,” he said.
The risks of new fires are still significant. Except for the western part of Quebec, the risks are considered “extreme” by the authorities, who explained that these fires are very intense and spread quickly, being very difficult for firefighters to stop.
