Canada and the east coast of the US have experienced hazardous levels of pollution from wildfire outbreaks in Canada.Massive swaths of unhealthy air extended as far as the US midwest, moving across Greenland and Iceland at the start of the month before flowing to Norway and southern Europe.
Canada’s wildfire season runs from May through October, where dry conditions are kindling. North America has experienced record heat and drought, and early wildfires have been breaking out across Canada since late April, starting in British Columbia and Alberta.
In a normal season, half of Canada’s wildfires are started by lightning, but those fires account for more than 85% of wildfire destruction. The other half are human-caused.
According to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, the destruction from these fires up to this point in the season has been 13 times worse than the 10-year average.
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