Canadian wildfire officials said Friday that the 2023 wildfire season is easily the worst ever recorded, with millions of hectares already burned — and they’re expecting “higher-than-normal” activity to continue throughout the late summer and fall.
Speaking to reporters at a technical briefing, Michael Norton, the director general of the northern forestry centre at the Canadian Forest Centre, said there’s an “extreme risk” for more fires in B.C., the Prairies, the Northwest Territories and in northern Ontario because there’s been drought in some areas that could help fuel the flames.
“This summer has turned into a challenging marathon. Unfortunately, the bottom line is that the fire season is not over and it’s likely we’ll experience significant fire activity for many weeks yet,” Norton said.
Federal data reveals just how devastating this wildfire season has already been with more than 5,500 fires reported so far — events that have burned approximately 13.4 million hectares. That stunning figure is significantly more than the 10-year average of 2.2 million hectares burned in any given year.
It also easily dwarfs the previous record of 7.6 million hectares reported in 1989 — and the season isn’t even over yet.
An evacuation order for more than 700 properties was issued for the Town of Osoyoos after an out-of-control wildfire crossed into British Columbia from Washington state. The Eagle Bluff wildfire is seen burning from Anarchist Mountain, outside of Osoyoos, B.C., on Saturday, July 29, 2023. (Michelle Genberg/The Canadian Press)
The number of hectares burned is so high this year because there’s been fire activity reported in virtually every corner of the country, Norton said.
The “monumental fires” in Quebec and unusual fires in Nova Scotia have been “challenging” for the country’s firefighting resources, he said.
June, which is normally a quieter month for fires, was particularly bad this year, which has pushed up the figures, he said.
There’s been 211 evacuation orders issued so far with more than 167,000 people forced to temporarily relocate to avoid disaster, federal data shows.
The fires have burned valuable land, displaced people and threatened communities — and they’ve also been devastating for the environment.
The fires have already released one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions into the air, Norton said, which is roughly the same figure as what the entire global airline industry emits in a year.
“This kind of simultaneous fire activity in all regions of the country is virtually unheard of, it’s usually more regional,” he said.
“There has been very little respite since May. This season has been relentless. This is by far the largest amount of area burned since we started keeping good records,” he said.
Firefighters from Brazil stand on the tarmac before boarding a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft at Abbotsford International Airport, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Sunday, July 23, 2023, for a flight to Prince George where they will be deployed to various areas to assist with the wildfires burning in the province. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)
With more fires expected, Norton sought to assure Canadians that the country has the personnel and resources to respond to fires as they continue to emerge. Canada has already deployed 5,821 domestic firefighters and 4,990 international firefighters from 12 countries to battle wildfires across the country.
The federal government has a multimillion-dollar program to help equip provincial firefighting teams and train new members, which has put Canada in a relatively good position, Norton said.
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson also announced Friday a new program that will see Ottawa send money to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to fund a pilot project to help build wildfire fighting capacity and enhance training best practices.
The new money will be earmarked to help local firefighters better deal with fires in the so-called “wildland urban interface,” areas where fires are particularly close to populated areas.
As witnessed in Fort McMurray, Alta., Lytton, B.C., and Halifax in recent years, wildland fires can encroach on urban areas with devastating effects.
The program will help firefighters not normally accustomed to fighting wildfires be better prepared to respond, Wilkinson said.
Officials can’t predict how next year’s fire season will evolve, but the trend has been toward longer seasons and larger, more aggressive fires, Norton said.
“The science is clear that longer, tougher fire seasons are going to be part of our future,” he said. “For sure all fire agencies recognize that there is an important message here about needing to adapt.”
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
HALIFAX – The federal Fisheries Department says an endangered North Atlantic right whale has become entangled in gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The department says the whale was sighted Wednesday by a Transport Canada aerial surveillance team northeast of the Gaspé Peninsula, off Anticosti Island.
Officials say it’s not known what type of gear has entangled the whale or where the gear came from.
Based on observation, experts at the New England Aquarium have confirmed the whale is a female known as Chiminea.
The department says it is continuing to monitor the area and if the whale is located and conditions allow, efforts will be made to disentangle the animal.
Last October, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium estimated there were 356 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
