Canada is seeing a subdued start to the wildfire season this year thanks to a cooler and wetter spring than usual, but Canadians should be prepared for an increase in fire activity heading into the summer, experts say.
Out west, parts of British Columbia and Alberta are seeing some wildfire activity as expected but nothing that has set off alarm bells yet.
As of May 3, there were 13 active fires burning in B.C. Since the start of April, a total of 91 fires have been reported in the province but none were highly visible or posed a potential threat to public safety.
There are currently no active wildfires in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Cooler temperatures and high levels of precipitation over the winter and spring period has suppressed the early wildfire season activity compared to the same time last year, meteorologists say.
“Overall, the late spring, I think with added snowpack in some areas and … cool conditions has helped to not allow for a quick start of the wildfire season across the country,” said Global News meteorologist Ross Hull.
“I believe that will start to change as the snowpack melts and areas that are already quite dry, experience warmer conditions and maybe some wind as well, so that will help to increase the fire risk.”
Fire weather severity forecast for the month of May.
Photo credit: Natural Resources Canada
What to expect this year
It is normal for Canada, which has nine per cent of the world’s forests, to experience wildfires during the summer months.
Canada’s wildfire season typically starts in April, hits its peak in July and ends in October.
Last year, the country saw a record-setting heat wave and an early start to the wildfire season with high intensity and overall numbers, particularly in B.C., where a provincial state of emergency was declared in July.
In total, the BC Wildfire Service says it battled over 300 active wildfires at the peak of the wildfire season, in what was a “tremendously challenging year”.
From April 1, 2021 to March 28, 2022, a total of 1,642 wildfires burned 869,279 hectares of land across the province, forcing mass evacuations and causing catastrophic destruction.
Wildfire outlook for June 2022.
Photo credit: Natural Resources Canada
“We’re definitely in a different spot from last year,” said Chelene Hanes, a physical scientist with Natural Resources Canada.
In B.C., for the month of May and June, below seasonal average temperatures are expected for much of the province, said Derek Lee, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada in Vancouver.
This is because of the La Niña climate pattern.
During La Niña years, trade winds are stronger and water temperatures become cooler-than-average in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator. Hence, Northern U.S. and Canada tend to be wetter and colder.
Photo credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada
“I would imagine that with the conditions being wetter than usual, things will take a bit longer to dry out,” said Lee.
A “heat dome,” which is a high-pressure system that traps warm air underneath it, raised the mercury to unprecedented levels in Canada last year, shattering more than 100 heat records across British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Hull said the likelihood of that weather pattern occurring again are not as high, but portions of the country could still experience extreme hot conditions this summer, which are a key contributing factor for wildfires.
Fire weather severity forecast for the month of July.
Photo credit: Natural Resources Canada
Lee said it’s still uncertain to forecast if the same heat dome scenario could happen this time around, but it is a possibility that Canadians should be prepared for.
The fire activity could pick up pace as soon as the snow melts and hot, dry and windy conditions kick in, Hanes said.
“There are already areas through the Prairies that are in an extreme drought condition, so it won’t take much if you get hot weather and also strong winds to spark some fires,” added Hull.
Meanwhile, it’s a different story in the United States, where raging fires in the southwest, including New Mexico and Arizona, have already torched homes and forced residents to flee.
In southern U.S., the La Niña pattern has the opposite effect to what Canada or northern U.S. experiences, bringing severe dry conditions.
1:37 Severe storms rock central U.S. while wildfires burn in the West
Severe storms rock central U.S. while wildfires burn in the West
Preparing ahead
On Tuesday, the B.C. government announced that it was extending its Alert Ready system beyond tsunami warnings and Amber Alerts to include imminent threats from floods and wildfires.
During a news conference, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the expansion of the system that issues public safety alerts through TV and radio broadcasters, as well as mobile devices, is because of an increase in the frequency of threats due to climate change.
1:41 B.C. firefighters training for upcoming fire season
B.C. firefighters training for upcoming fire season – Apr 24, 2022
Preparations are also underway for the core of the wildfire season, with specialized crews receiving training and new staff being recruited, said Brent Martin, deputy director of predictive services with BC Wildfire Service, during that same news conference in Victoria.
“Our crews are already in place and ready to respond,” he said.
The province is also investing over $13 million in community resiliency grants across 107 local governments and First Nations throughout B.C., helping reduce risks this summer, Martin said.
With global temperatures rising, keeping a close eye on short-term forecasts can help better prepare for upcoming disasters, Lee said.
“We can’t really rely on the long-range forecast,” he said, because they are not as accurate.
4:23 Reviving the practice of cultural burns in B.C. in order to mitigate wildfire risk
Reviving the practice of cultural burns in B.C. in order to mitigate wildfire risk
At the Canadian Forest Service, Hanes said they are developing models, including using remote sensing, that can estimate the probability of fires igniting and their potential growth based on current weather conditions to help fire management agencies better prepare to respond in time.
“We’re always trying to improve those models so that the fire managers have the best available information to make the decisions that they need to make on a daily basis during the fire season.”
With the majority of fires particularly in spring caused by humans, such as through campfires, Hanes urged Canadians to pay close attention to any restrictions issued by their provincial and local fire management agencies.
There are also a number of ways Canadians can mitigate their personal risks and fire impact, she added, pointing to Fire Smart Canada, which offers resources to help fireproof homes among other things.
Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot has announced he will be out for the rest of the CFL season.
The Delta, B.C., native posted the news on his Instagram page Thursday.
“To Be Continued. Shoutout my team, the fans of the CFL and the whole city of Montreal! I can’t wait to be back healthy and write this next chapter in 2025,” the statement read.
Philpot, 24, injured his foot in a 33-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 10 and was placed on the six-game injured list the next week.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound receiver had 58 receptions, 779 yards and five touchdowns in nine games for the league-leading Alouettes in his third season.
Philpot scored the game-winning touchdown in Montreal’s Grey Cup win last season to punctuate a six-reception, 63-yard performance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
NEW YORK (AP) — When her husband turns on the television to hear news about the upcoming presidential election, that’s often a signal for Lori Johnson Malveaux to leave the room.
It can get to be too much. Often, she’ll go to a TV in another room to watch a movie on the Hallmark Channel or BET. She craves something comforting and entertaining. And in that, she has company.
While about half of Americans say they are following political news “extremely” or “very” closely, about 6 in 10 say they need to limit how much information they consume about the government and politics to avoid feeling overloaded or fatigued, according to a new survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts.
Make no mistake: Malveaux plans to vote. She always does. “I just get to the point where I don’t want to hear the rhetoric,” she said.
The 54-year-old Democrat said she’s most bothered when she hears people on the news telling her that something she saw with her own eyes — like the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — didn’t really happen.
“I feel like I’m being gaslit. That’s the way to put it,” she said.
Sometimes it feels like ‘a bombardment’
Caleb Pack, 23, a Republican from Ardmore, Oklahoma, who works in IT, tries to keep informed through the news feeds on his phone, which is stocked with a variety of sources, including CNN, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press.
Yet sometimes, Pack says, it seems like a bombardment.
“It’s good to know what’s going on, but both sides are pulling a little bit extreme,” he said. “It just feels like it’s a conversation piece everywhere, and it’s hard to escape it.”
Media fatigue isn’t a new phenomenon. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in late 2019 found roughly two in three Americans felt worn out by the amount of news there is, about the same as in a poll taken in early 2018. During the 2016 presidential campaign, about 6 in 10 people felt overloaded by campaign news.
But it can be particularly acute with news related to politics. The AP-NORC/USAFacts poll found that half of Americans feel a need to limit their consumption of information related to crime or overseas conflicts, while only about 4 in 10 are limiting news about the economy and jobs.
It’s easy to understand, with television outlets like CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC full of political talk and a wide array of political news online, sometimes complicated by disinformation.
“There’s a glut of information,” said Richard Coffin, director of research and advocacy for USAFacts, “and people are having a hard time figuring out what is true or not.”
Women are more likely to feel they need to limit media
In the AP-NORC poll, about 6 in 10 men said they follow news about elections and politics at least “very” closely, compared to about half of women. For all types of news, not just politics, women are more likely than men to report the need to limit their media consumption, the survey found.
White adults are also more likely than Black or Hispanic adults to say they need to limit media consumption on politics, the poll found.
Kaleb Aravzo, 19, a Democrat, gets a baseline of news by listening to National Public Radio in the morning at home in Logan, Utah. Too much politics, particularly when he’s on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, can trigger anxiety and depression.
“If it pops up on my page when I’m on social media,” he said, “I’ll just scroll past it.”
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Sanders reported from Washington. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.
The AP poll of 1,019 adults was conducted July 29-August 8, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
