The eastern United States is slowly seeing the effects of the wildfire smoke dissipate, but Canada remains engulfed by flames that have become a significant issue. Liz Gouari, who moved from Africa to northern Quebec, was shocked when she was forced to evacuate from her city due to a raging wildfire. More than 400 fires are currently burning in Canada, which is experiencing its worst wildfire season ever recorded. Canada’s provinces and territories, except Nunavut where it’s too cold for trees, are facing intense wildfires believed to be linked to drought and heat caused by climate change. The outbreak of wildfires has hit not only the usual western provinces but also eastern regions such as Quebec, where simultaneous fires are rare and residents have little experience evacuating from such blazes. Chibougamau, where many residents have never experienced evacuation from wildfires before, was forced to flee after the blaze tore through the forest and slowly bore down on the city. Since even the coldest regions in Canada are warming up, increasing temperatures and a vapor-pressure deficit have been drying the trees, leading Tanzina Mohsin, a professor of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto, to predict more forest fires in the future.
