Ottawa, July 19
Wildfire activity is expected to continue to increase and persist to well-above-average conditions over much of western Canada by August, Canada's minister of energy and natural resources said.
In a wildfire update, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson delivered the latest national wildfire forecast, saying the highest fire danger is in southern British Columbia, Xinhua news agency reported.
The minister said weather forecasts point to above-average temperatures across much of Canada from July through August, with dry conditions expected to intensify in the coming weeks, particularly in the west and north.
Based on these weather forecasts, Natural Resources Canada's modeling predicted elevated wildfire risk from Yukon eastward to northwestern Ontario and in Nova Scotia and eastern New Brunswick, said Hodgson.
Hodgson reported over 3,000 wildfires have occurred across the country as of July this year, burning approximately 5.5 million hectares.
The minister also announced an investment of nearly 11.7 million Canadian dollars ($8.5 million) over four years to establish the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada, which will serve as a national center of excellence and virtual hub for wildland fire innovation and knowledge.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The scale is shocking - 5.5 million hectares already! Canada has so much forest cover, but even they're struggling. Makes me wonder how Indian states like Uttarakhand would cope with similar situations given our current infrastructure.
Good to see they're investing in research ($8.5 million seems small though). India should collaborate with Canada on wildfire tech - we could learn from their experience while they might benefit from our cost-effective solutions.
The timing is worrying - just when we thought pandemic was over, nature gives another challenge. My cousin in Vancouver says the smoke makes it hard to breathe there. Hope the authorities act fast!
While the situation is serious, I feel the article could have explained more about prevention measures. Just reporting numbers creates panic. What can common people do to help? More practical info needed.
This makes me appreciate India's monsoon system more! Despite all the flooding problems, at least our forests get regular water. Climate change is making weather patterns unpredictable everywhere 😔
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