In what’s expected to be the largest wave of wildfires in the country’s history, flames continue to spread with swells of ashy smoke engulfing vast regions of Eastern Canada, Toronto, Ottawa and the densely populated Northeastern United States, including New York City.
The internet is alight with reactions as the powerful plume forces people inside; and in severely impacted regions away from their homes.
The town of Lebel-sur-Quevillon, located about 689 km north west of Montreal, saw over 2,000 of its residents evacuated over the weekend, as fires burned within 10km of the city, according to CTV News. Quebec is the worst affected with the highest number of active fires, but many others have been reported, including in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
As wildfires moved through western Canada on Tuesday, a blaze on the opposite end of the country in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has forced the evacuation of more than 16,000 people. https://t.co/0m0syf2sHA pic.twitter.com/TKKAwlT8aG
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 30, 2023
In Toronto, Blue Jays fans were left confused during Tuesday night’s game when The Rogers Centre opted not to close the roof after Environment Canada warned against the risks of overexposure to the smog in an air quality statement. The unusually high concentration of smoke is correlated with an increased volume of fires in Eastern Canada.
On Tuesday, in an effort to adhere to Environment Canada’s notice, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) advised against “all strenuous outdoor activities, including athletic events planned for tomorrow and Thursday” stating they “will be rescheduled or moved indoors where possible.” to ensure the health and wellbeing of its students.
Similarly, in orders reminiscent of the pandemic, New Yorkers are being advised to remain indoors.
new york out here looking like LA with this wildfire smog pic.twitter.com/KxBGekbsal
— seth (@seththeile) June 6, 2023
In a report by Montreal Gazette, Karine Pelletier, a spokesperson for the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), attributed the blazes in Quebec to “all the ingredients being there simultaneously…very low humidity, no rain, strong winds and many thunderstorms and lightning strikes.”
Wildfires are not out of the ordinary in Eastern Canada. However, according to a report by Reuters there has been a significant increase in the number of wildfires since last year. “The Atlantic province [Nova Scotia] has had nearly 200 wildfires so far this year that have burned more than 22,000 hectares and displaced more than 25,000 people. In 2022, there were just 152 fires that burned 3,390 hectares.”
In a statement from Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to “continue to listen to local authorities on how to stay safe,” as emergency services work tirelessly to mitigate fires nationwide.
