Smoke from raging forest fires Canadaunprecedented for its intensity, has set off health alarms and forced the closure of schools and cancel flights in cities USAand has even reached Norway.

The episode of strange atmospheric pollution has concrete consequences in the lives of the population. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, More than 111 million people were affected by air quality alerts across much of the Northeast.

The Flames have destroyed some 900,000 hectares of forest in the Canadian province of Québec since the beginning of this year, according to the Association for the Protection of Forests against Fires (SOPFEU). The smoke is pushed south by weather conditions, but also to the east, even thousands of miles away.

Concentrations have been registered since Monday “very low” smoke particlesespecially at Birkenes station in southern Norway, researcher Nikolaos Evangeliou of the Norwegian Institute for Climate and Environmental Research (NILU) told AFP.

However, the measurements vary and “We don’t see a serious spike or a significant increase (…) Therefore, we don’t see an environmental problem or a serious health risk” in this country, the researcher said.

In Washington, the situation on Thursday was even worse than the day before. An event to celebrate LGBT+ Pride Month, scheduled to take place Thursday night outside the White House, was postponed, as was a professional baseball game.

New York recorded the worst air pollution from fires in Canada

“disturbing”

the care for health effects This mainly concerns vulnerable people such as children, the elderly or people with heart or respiratory problems.

Emergency room visits related to asthma attacks have increased in New York City, a spokesman for the city’s health department said. But this increase of “a few hundred” patients is not overwhelming the services.

Tourists wear face masks during the morning rush hour on June 8, 2023 in New York City, as smoke from Canada’s wildfires continues to billow through the city, as thousands of Canadians have been called upon to evacuate their homes. Photo: AFP

Stunning images of New York City bathed in orange light circulated Wednesday, though skies cleared Thursday. “I’ve Never Seen Anything Like It” Linda Juliano told AFP when she accepted one of the millions of masks handed out to New Yorkers.

“It reminded me a lot of 9/11 to see the sky full of smokesaid the 65-year-old woman, describing the sepia smog as “terrifying.”

The Washington Zoo, as well as those in the Bronx and Central Park were closed, and New York public school students will take their classes remotely on Friday. At New York (LaGuardia, Newark) and Philadelphia airports, flights were delayed due to poor visibility, the Civil Aviation Agency, the FAA, reported.

New York is shrouded in orange by wildfires in Canada

“Conspiracy Theories”

Global warming increases the risk of fires and their intensity. The increase in temperature, the intensification of heat waves and the reduction of precipitation in some places combine favorably to release them.

While no research has yet been conducted on the link between the current fires in Quebec and climate change, “the conditions we are seeing in Canada are consistent with warnings from weather specialists”Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said this on Thursday.

Referring to both the smoke from the fires and the resurgence of flooding across the United States, White House spokesman Andrew Bates lashed out at the Republican opposition which, he says, “adheres to discredited conspiracy theories and existence.” and denies its nature.” of climate change”.

“extreme” risk

Fires in Canada, now concentrated in Québec, have destroyed nearly 3.8 million hectares this year. Since January, twice as many new outbreaks have been recorded than the average over this period over the past 10 years. Quebec reported more than 150 active fires on Thursday, nearly 90 of which were out of control. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated.

A person walks near the Lincoln Memorial under a haze in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2023. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has engulfed the east coast of the US, forcing thousands of Canadians to evacuate their homes.
Photo: AFP

Authorities expect further reinforcements from the United States, France and Portugal in the coming hours and days. The situation remains worrying in many regions, says Stephane Caron of SOPFEU.

“We are only at the beginning of the fire season. We are entering the period where usually bigger fires start to break out in Quebec,” he said. Authorities in western Quebec describe the risk of new outbreaks as “extreme”.

These fires are very intense and spread quickly, making it very difficult for firefighters to stop them, they said.