Last week, more than 1.4 million hectares of nature burned in Canada. That corresponds to 69% of an average full fire season. This year, the total area burned has already risen to no less than 7.7 million hectares. This means that the previous record from 1995, when 7.1 million hectares were lost, has already been exceeded. The wildfires also have a record amount of CO2 emitted and the smoke is currently even reaching Europe across the Atlantic.
How bad is the situation right now?
Wildfires in Canada are certainly not uncommon. But this year they are not limited to one area – usually the west – but are spreading en masse across the country. According to it Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre there are about 495 active fires, 260 of which are not under control. This makes fighting the fires particularly challenging.
This unusual situation has been going on for several months. In 2023 there have been 2,948 fires and 7.7 million hectares of forest have burned up. That is no less than twice the area of Belgium. The record of 7.1 million hectares from 1995 has thus been broken, while the peak of the Canadian wildfire season has yet to come. On average, they only lose 2.8 million hectares in an entire year in Canada, if we look at the past decade. The situation has never been so serious since the measurements began.
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How is this possible?
Weather is the leading cause of devastating fires in Canada. The spring was exceptionally warm and dry in large parts of the country. Especially in the east, where about 50% less precipitation fell than normal. The hot, dry weather and human negligence have led to a huge burnt area. El Niño, the weather phenomenon that has just started, does not yet provide an explanation for the unusual spring.
Weather conditions that promote fires – hot, dry and windy – are becoming more common in Canada. Canada is increasingly experiencing large fires that are spreading over larger areas. In addition, the fire season is increasing in duration. It now starts about a week earlier and ends a week later than fifty years ago. Canada’s wildfire season has also released millions of tons of CO so far2 pumped into the atmosphere, which only makes the situation worse. Because this reinforces the greenhouse effect, which increases the risk of forest fires. In this way, climate change stimulates itself.
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How did the smoke from the forest fires reach Europe?
The fires in Canada create smoke that travels great distances to other areas through the wind high in the atmosphere.
For example, several parts of the United States have already been affected by the smoke. This was due to a large area of low pressure blocking the smoke’s travel to the east, while the system’s counterclockwise winds acted as a conveyor belt, pushing the smoke south toward the US.
In the meantime, this system has disappeared and the smoke is blown east with the jet stream and is now also reaching Western Europe. In the course of the week, the smoke will also hang over Belgium. However, this will have little impact on us.
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