Record heat and fires in Canada

[Chris]

VANCOUVER, Canada — Fed by drought and a record-busting heat wave, forest fires in westernmost Canada had devoured more territory by Friday than any year since records were kept, provincial statistics showed.

Nearly 1,500 fires caused by people or lightning strikes in British Columbia so far consumed some 273,502 hectares (1,055 square miles) of forests -- more than 300 percent above normal, with untold weeks remaining in the fire season.

"Most fires have occurred in the last three weeks," provincial fire information spokeswoman Alyson Couch told AFP.

Nearly 4,000 firefighters from British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, aided by 22 water bombers and 151 helicopters, battled hundreds of ongoing blazes.

AFP: Fires devour record territory in westernmost Canada

 

[westwall]

VANCOUVER, Canada — Fed by drought and a record-busting heat wave, forest fires in westernmost Canada had devoured more territory by Friday than any year since records were kept, provincial statistics showed.

Nearly 1,500 fires caused by people or lightning strikes in British Columbia so far consumed some 273,502 hectares (1,055 square miles) of forests -- more than 300 percent above normal, with untold weeks remaining in the fire season.

"Most fires have occurred in the last three weeks," provincial fire information spokeswoman Alyson Couch told AFP.

Nearly 4,000 firefighters from British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, aided by 22 water bombers and 151 helicopters, battled hundreds of ongoing blazes.

AFP: Fires devour record territory in westernmost Canada

Pretty much par for the course. Do you have anything meaningful or are you just going to be posting the obvious?

"On average, about 9 100 forest fires occur annually in Canada. Of these, over 60% are started by people, most by accident, and 35% by LIGHTNING."


Forest Fire - The Canadian Encyclopedia

 

[Chris]

The fires this year have burned through more forest than in any year since records began.

Officials say the fires have consumed more than 270,000 hectares of forest, which is about 300 per cent above normal.

With the current fire season far from over, more than two thirds of the province remains at extreme risk.

The choking smoke that has blanketed most of British Columbia has kept people indoors and grounded some regional flights.

Residents in some communities say the ash is falling like snow.

Smoke is also drifting into the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan hundreds of kilometres away.

Canadian wildfires burn out of control - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)