How much forest and wildlife destroyed in Canada so far?

Canada has been dealing with a severe bushfire crisis for the past six weeks, resulting in widespread devastation of its forests and wildlife. These massive wildfires have triggered mass evacuations and have burned a staggering area of over 3.3 million acres.

So far this year, Canada has already experienced 2,214 fires, which together burned an area comparable to the size of Belgium. Disturbingly, projections indicate that the risk of wildfires will continue to increase in June and remain alarmingly high through the summer season.

Authorities have described the number of wildfires witnessed in Canada so early in the wildfire season as "unprecedented." This year's fire season, which typically runs from May to September, has already far exceeded expectations. The cumulative impact of these fires has engulfed more than 3.3 million hectares of land across the country, twelve times larger than the average for the past decade.

A large wildfire near Halifax, Nova Scotia's largest city, has been brought under control with the help of rainy weather, according to the province's Department of natural resources. The fire destroyed more than 200 homes and structures and forced an estimated 16,000 people to evacuate. Fortunately, some residents have been able to return home.

Unfortunately, new fires have started in other parts of Canada, including Quebec, where there are currently around 164 active fires.

These fires have prompted the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents. To fight the wildfires, Canada has deployed its military personnel across the country, and nearly 1,000 firefighters from countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have also provided assistance.

400 fires currently spotted in Canada

According to a report, the fires in Canada were started mainly due to dry and hot weather, along with human activities such as the careless disposal of cigarette butts. Extreme heat makes it difficult to control the rapidly spreading flames.

Currently, more than 400 fires have been reported across Canada, with the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia experiencing the most severe fires. These fires have forced some 120,000 people to evacuate their homes. Canada is currently at "National Preparedness Level 5," meaning most of its resources are focused on fighting the fires as quickly as possible.

A United Nations report previously warned that climate change is expected to significantly increase the severity of wildfires worldwide by up to 57 per cent by 2090.

Keep Reading

• Explained: How did the wildfires start in Canada?
• Know about Sundaresh, the forest guard who died battling a forest fire
• Forest fires set new emissions records this year
• Smoke from forest fires erodes the ozone layer

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