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Canadian Wildfires Force 30,000 to Evacuate and Spread Smoke Across Third of U.S.

Fine particulate pollution from hundreds of uncontrolled blazes poses rising health risks across North America.

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The Iowa state Capitol is seen through smoky skies due to wildfires in Canada, Wednesday, June 4, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Scott McFetridge)

Overview

  • There are 203 active wildfires burning across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, with nearly half classified as out of control by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
  • More than 30,000 residents have fled under provincial states of emergency, and entire neighborhoods—including most of Denare Beach—have been razed by advancing flames.
  • The blazes have consumed over two million hectares of forest and farmland, marking one of Canada’s largest wildfire seasons in recent history.
  • Smoke has drifted over about one-third of the United States; air quality alerts have been issued in states from Minnesota to New York urging sensitive populations to reduce outdoor activity.
  • European climate monitoring services report that plumes have even reached Europe, causing hazy skies though surface-level air quality impacts there remain limited.