Are the Canadian Fires Under Control? North America to Experience More Wildfire Haze

Anna Garrison - Author
By

PUBLISHED Jun. 7 2023, 11:39 a.m. ET

UPDATED Oct. 2 2023, 9:49 a.m. ET

Trees on fire during a wildfire.
Source: Egor Vikhrev/Unsplash

UPDATE, Oct. 2, 2023, 9:55 a.m. ET: The 2023 Central Canada wildfires continue to burn. Smoke from the wildfires will blanket parts of North America, including U.S. states such as New York and Massachusetts, in early October, per CNN.

The causation and duration of wildfires are directly impacted by climate change, creating drier conditions for wildfires to start more easily. When wildfires start, they often cannot be stopped quickly.

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Are the Canadian wildfires under control now? It's not the first time Canada has battled catastrophic wildfires but one of the most destructive. Keep reading for what you need to know about the serious conditions around this issue.

Smoke hovers above the trees from a forest fire - Stock Image.
Source: Chris LeBoutillier/Unsplash
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Are the Canadian wildfires under control?

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) reports that as of Oct. 2, 816 fires are burning across Canada, with at least 403 considered "out of control." In British Columbia, the CIFFC reports there are 338 fires, while there are 98 in the Northwest Territories.

On Aug. 17, CNN reported that the wildfires in Canada's Northwest Territories, specifically near the capital city of Yellowknife, prompted mass evacuation as a state of emergency was declared. The cities of Ndilo, Dettah and Ingram Trail were also under evacuation orders.

It is unclear when all of the fires will be officially "under control."

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Despite the active fight against the flames, firefighters can only attack 20-30 at a time. According to Reuters, Canada has at least 5,500 firefighters on the ground as of June 24, but they have been seeking international help to battle the elements, as they are still short-handed.

Additionally, the CBC reports that it takes at least two months to train new firefighters, but out-of-control wildfires sparked before May, when annual firefighter intakes begin.

Smoke during a forest fire in South Africa.
Source: Getty Images
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CIFFC has been doing its best to keep the public updated as more wildfire smoke drifts further away. On June 25, Canada signed an arrangement with the U.S. to provide mutual aid against wildfires, including sharing resources, improving prevention, doing research, and having technical cooperation with one another, according to East Idaho News.

On June 28, air quality warnings were issued for at least 20 states in the U.S., including from Minnesota to Georgia and parts of western New York, according to ABC News. Additionally, CNN reported that the smog from the wildfires reached the U.K. via the jet stream, strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

Then, on Aug. 17, in response to the Northwest Territories fires, Fox 11 News reported that an air quality alert was issued for Wisconsin until Aug. 21. Minnesota received a similar air quality alert.

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On Oct. 2, 2023, the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation released a statement on the platform formerly known as Twitter saying, "Wildfires in Canada continue to produce some smoke impacts in NYS and smoke at high altitudes may be visible downstate today into tomorrow, although fine particulate levels across eastern and northern NY will stay in the Good to Moderate range today as smoke clears."

Smoke hangs above a forest during a forest fire - Stock Image.
Source: Getty Images

For those outside Canada, the continued wildfires mean decreased air quality and significant health risks associated with spending time outdoors. Those in the U.S. can consult their Air Quality alerts or the government website AirNow, which has an interactive map showing where fire and smoke are heaviest.

This article, originally published on June 7, 2023, has been updated to include information about continued wildfire smoke.

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