Daily Times

Officials in Canada have warned that the country is on course to endure its most devastating wildfire season ever, as warm and dry conditions are likely to remain throughout the summer.

Fires are currently raging in practically all Canadian provinces and territories, following an exceptional start to the fire season. According to government officials, there is an elevated risk of wildfires in most parts of Canada until August.

Michael Norton, a Natural Resources Ministry official in Canada, emphasized this year’s unusual spread of fires across the country. Fires typically occur on one side of the country at a time, primarily in the west.

However, the current situation is different, with fires spreading from coast to coast. Quebec, in eastern Canada, has been particularly heavily impacted, with many lightning-caused fires. Norton expressed concern about the rate of increase in the area burned, suggesting that record levels could be reached if this trend continues.

Wildfires in eastern Canada have been swiftly expanding, resulting to evacuations in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia and coastal portions of Quebec. In response to emergency forest fire orders, the Wallbridge Mining Company temporarily evacuated a gold project camp in Quebec and paused exploration work on its Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend Property.

Yan Boulanger, a researcher with Natural Resources Canada, stressed the extraordinary extent of burned regions found early in the season. Such widespread fires have not been seen in the last two decades. Boulanger ascribed this tendency, in part, to climate change, citing an increase in burned regions across Canada.