Canadian Wildfires: How They Started and When the Smoke Will Clear

In a season the government has called “severe” and “widespread,” Canadian wildfires have swept cross North America and the repercussions are affecting millions of people.

The smoke has drifted into the eastern United States creating thick, hazy clouds that make pictures of American cities look like they were taken on another planet. And it may just be, according to projections, the beginning of a record-breaking summer.

When did the wildfires start in Canada?

Many of the wildfires tearing through Canada started in May, a typical time of year for wildfires in the country to start due to snowmelt uncovering dead vegetation that can fuel the fires, according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service.

This season has seen 2,293 wildfires so far, Canadian Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said at a press conference Wednesday. Those fires have burned over 8 million acres. 

Where did the Canadian wildfires start?

The province hit earliest by the fires this year was Alberta, which issued a provincial state of emergency on May 6 and expired Wednesday though the province still has 70 active fires.

Wildfires in Quebec began raging in May, and officials ordered the evacuation of towns in danger zones. Currently, Quebec is impacted by 154 recorded fires, with the resulting smoke and ash from those fires drifting down to cover much of the Eastern United States.

The country has 414 wildfires actively burning and 239 of those fires are out of control, Blair said Wednesday.

What caused the Canadian wildfires?

Most forest fires are caused by natural causes, with lightning blamed for around 60% of wildfires. Human activity (such as unprotected burns, fireworks or vehicle use) can also be a cause of out-of-control blazes, and governments often take steps to prevent them. Quebec, for instance, banned open campfires in the province in May as the threat of forest fires grew.

Warm and dry conditions in the region, and ongoing droughts, caused many of Canada’s wildfires tearing through the country, combined with either lightning or human activity, according to British Columbia’s wildfire service.

Drought conditions in the Atlantic region of the country have also led to conditions that favor wildfires. About 50% of the region was classified as abnormally dry in April. Eastern Quebec reported between just 25-50% of its normal three-month precipitation amount.

Have the wildfires in Canada stopped?

Not yet. Fires continue to burn across Canada, and the government said to expect “higher-than-normal” fire activity throughout the season.

Projections predict that June will bring more wildfire risk to British Columbia and Yukon all the way to western Quebec and the Atlantic region. In July, it is expected that the eastern edge will recede from western Quebec and into central Ontario. 

Is the smoke from Canada toxic?

The smoke from the wildfires has led to poor air quality throughout the Eastern United States, which can be hazardous to both people and pets.

People are recommended to stay indoors and follow local guidance on how to stay safe in the smoke. Wildfire smoke can cause coughing, difficulty breathing, scratchy throat, runny nose, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, fatigue and trigger asthma attacks, according to the CDC.

The smoke is a mixture of small particles from burning materials and gases. Exposure to wildfire smoke should be limited to avoid adverse health effects. The EPA recommends people wear N95 or P100 respirators to protect their lungs during outdoor exposure.

Fine particulates unable to be seen, called PM2.5, come from wildfire smoke and are “more toxic than other sources of PM2.5” due to a wildfire’s reach, professor of Biostatistics, Population and Data Science at Harvard’s school of public health Francesca Dominci told the Washington Post.

Wildfires that escape the forest to burn existing structures or homes can release chemicals used to create any human-made materials caught in the conflagration and include them in the smoke.

Reduced visibility from the copious amount of smoke in the region caused the FAA to ground-stop all flights at New York’s La Guardia Airport and New Jersey’s Newark Airport.

When will the smoke clear in New York?

Not in the next few days. Experts expect the air quality to remain hazardous in New York through Thursday and have issued an additional air quality health advisory.

Forecasts from Accuweather meteorologists predict that wider relief might come next week, as weather patterns point towards a storm in the midwest that could help dissipate the smoke.