On Saturday, July 14, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center recorded 903 active fires, of which 581 were out of control, 102 were in custody, and 217 were under control.
With the fires in Canada showing no sign of slowing and more international firefighters called to help them, South Africa has a team in Alberta and is fielding a second team on Tuesday.
A young Canadian firefighter died in British Columbia last week. She was reportedly separated from her team and later discovered trapped under a fallen tree. The 19-year-old was airlifted to hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, took to Twitter to express his condolences on her death.
The news from British Columbia – that a firefighter bravely fighting a wildfire has lost her life – is heartbreaking. At this incredibly difficult time, I send my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and fellow firefighters.
Justin Trudeau July 14, 2023
At the beginning of July, work on fire Trevor Abrahams’s explanation Daily Maverick that Fallen trees were a unique danger In Canada fires are caused by lateral root systems of trees, and firefighting teams have always had one person on watch.
South African firefighters on Friday observed a minute’s silence over the death of their Canadian colleague.
In the United States, wildfire smoke is now heading northwest, after reaching New York and Connecticut, as 21 states issued air quality alerts over a three-week period.
On Friday, July 14, Minnesota and North Dakota issued Code Red air quality alerts, Move to orange on saturday. A red symbol alert means the air is unhealthy for everyone, while lower symbols mean the air quality will negatively affect the elderly, children, and people with health conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
American air quality index Monitor air pollutionstarts with green – which means safe – and moves through yellow, orange, red and purple before ending in burgundy for the highest levels of pollution, which can lead to medical emergencies in the entire population, not just those with underlying health conditions.
Canada is experiencing its most severe fire season yet, and with 10 million hectares of land already on fire, there is still no end in sight. Firefighters have their hands full, as new fires start faster than old ones.
On July 12, Canada National Wildland Fire Situation Report He stated: “The number of fires is well above average for this time of year… 548 net new fires started, with 406 of them attributed to lightning reported within the past week.”
Late Saturday, 377 fires were burning in British Columbia, which has a population of about 5.5 million.
Much of the United States is also suffering under a brutal heat wave, with the National Weather Service warning: “Temperatures will reach levels that could pose a health risk, potentially fatal, to anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.”
About 100 million Americans are at risk, and according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center: “Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States“.
The same heat wave in which the National Weather Service warned Americans to “take the heat seriously and avoid spending time outdoors” is also affecting wildfires in Canada. Experts have warned of an exacerbation of the climate crisis, with the Canadian Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos “From evacuations to poor air quality and sweltering heat warnings,” he says, “we’re seeing the reality of the effects of climate change.”
Temperatures also rose in parts of Europe, with temperatures in Greece soaring to 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday and fears of wildfires raging there, due to the sweltering heat. the World Meteorological Organization (The World Meteorological Organization) has warned that climate-related extreme weather “is becoming the new normal”.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said last week: “Higher-than-normal temperatures are expected in the Mediterranean region for at least the next two weeks.”
She noted that while parts of the world suffer from extreme temperatures, other parts of the world suffer from floods and heavy rains, pointing to parts of the United States, China, Japan and India.
Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director of Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), warns: “As the planet warms, we are expected to see more and more intense, more frequent, and more intense precipitation events, which also lead to floods. more intense.” DM
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