To confront this emergent US air quality alert, the state has activated emergency notifications on roads and initiated the distribution of masks. Persistent winds are predicted to carry the smoke further east, blanketing the Northeast with a hazy cloud early in the week.
Canadian Wildfires Fueled by Lightning Strikes and Drought
The smoke plume inundating the US has its origin in the nearly 400 wildfires that have ignited in Canada’s British Columbia province over the past week. Alarmingly, about half of these fires were sparked by 51,000 lightning strikes from thunderstorms.
Adding to the severity of the situation, many of these thunderstorms were ‘dry’ or produced insignificant rain, exacerbating the wildfires in a province already grappling with severe drought.
Second Firefighter Dies Battling Canadian Wildfires
The devastation extends beyond the US air quality alert as Canadian authorities declared the unfortunate loss of a second firefighter battling these wildfires on Sunday. “We regret to share the tragic news that a firefighter from Fort Liard has passed away from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire in the Fort Liard District Saturday afternoon,” announced Canada’s Northwest Territories.
