Current:Home > FinanceSee pictures and videos of the Canadian wildfires and their impact across the planet-LoTradeCoin
See pictures and videos of the Canadian wildfires and their impact across the planet
View Date:2024-12-23 19:11:06
Wildfires in Canada have been raging for weeks with more than 500 fires burning in the country, the vast majority uncontrolled. The fires are sending smoke into the U.S. and as far as Europe. Here are videos and pictures of the Canadian wildfires and their impact.
Canada
Wildfires are burning in several Canadian provinces. In Quebec, the fires were sparked by lightning. The fires raging in Alberta have an unknown cause, but this province, as well as Saskatchewan and Manitoba, have been hit with bad droughts. This and record heat have contributed to the fires.
Wildfires in Canada throughout May and June have created a record level of emissions and many of the fires show little sign of slowing down, according to the European Union's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service.
As of June 29, there were 507 fires burning in the country, with 243 out of control, according to Canada's Interagency Forest Fire Center. More than 8.1 million hectares — over than 31,000 square miles — have burned. Most fires were in Quebec or British Columbia.
The wildfires have affected air quality in many cities — and not just in Canada, but also in the U.S. The cities closest to the source will have more intense levels of smoke and worse air quality, meteorologist Jen Carfagno and hurricane and storm specialist Greg Postel, both of The Weather Channel, told CBS News.
The Midwest
On Thursday, Detroit had the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir, a company that tracks air quality around the world, with Chicago coming in eleventh-worst.
The smoke from the wildfires to the north caused "very unhealthy" air quality conditions, according to the federal AirNow site, prompting officials to urge people not to go outside for long periods of time, especially those with sensitivities.
Both Detroit and Chicago were classified as having "unhealthy" air quality as of Thursday, according to AirNow, while Minneapolis had been downgraded from unhealthy to "moderate."
Eastern U.S.
Cities like Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh saw the effects of the wildfire smoke as it seeped across the U.S. Carfagno and Postel said Washington, D.C. was projected to be the East Coast city affected the most this week.
As of Thursday, Washington, D.C. had the second-worst air quality in the world behind only Detroit, per IQAir.
As of Thursday night, New York City and Philadelphia were had "unhealthy" air quality according to AirNow, and both cities were under air quality alerts.
Earlier in June, both cities were covered in a dusty haze as the smoke converged on them. The haze, which often makes the sky look bright orange during sunrise or sunset, lasted about a day.
Cities in northwestern New York, like Buffalo, had unhealthy air quality and residents saw a haze this week, but the National Weather Service forecasted that Buffalo would see conditions improve by Thursday night.
Europe
On Monday, NASA said images from its Terra satellite showed smoke moving across the Atlantic to Europe, affecting Spain and Portugal and later spreading to other countries. Images from Spain showed the sky looking hazy from the smoke on Monday.
- In:
- Wildfire Smoke
- Wildfires
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
veryGood! (5382)
Related
- SNL's Chloe Fineman Says Rude Elon Musk Made Her Burst Into Tears as Show Host
- To Save Whales, Should We Stop Eating Lobster?
- Taco John's has given up its 'Taco Tuesday' trademark after a battle with Taco Bell
- Summer School 2: Competition and the cheaper sneaker
- Kentucky governor says investigators will determine what caused deadly Louisville factory explosion
- Ray Liotta Receives Posthumous 2023 Emmy Nomination Over a Year After His Death
- Exxon Accurately Predicted Global Warming, Years Before Casting Doubt on Climate Science
- In a New Book, Annie Proulx Shows Us How to Fall in Love with Wetlands
- IAT Community Introduce
- You know those folks who had COVID but no symptoms? A new study offers an explanation
Ranking
- Joan says 'Yes!' to 'Golden Bachelorette' finale fantasy beach proposal. Who did she pick?
- Car Companies Are Now Bundling EVs With Home Solar Panels. Are Customers Going to Buy?
- West Baltimore Residents, Students Have Mixed Feelings About Water Quality After E. Coli Contamination
- This Arctic US Air Base Has Its Eyes on Russia. But Climate is a Bigger Threat
- Cameron Brink set to make Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut
- 3 lessons past Hollywood strikes can teach us about the current moment
- Denied abortion for a doomed pregnancy, she tells Texas court: 'There was no mercy'
- Texas Regulators Won’t Stop an Oilfield Waste Dump Site Next to Wetlands, Streams and Wells
Recommendation
-
Zendaya Shares When She Feels Extra Safe With Boyfriend Tom Holland
-
Sofia Franklyn Slams Alex Cooper For Shady S--t to Get Financially Ahead
-
After a historic downturn due to the pandemic, childhood immunizations are improving
-
Could the U.S. still see a recession? A handy primer about the confusing economy
-
California voters reject proposed ban on forced prison labor in any form
-
RHOM's Guerdy Abraira Proudly Debuts Shaved Head as She Begins Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
-
OutDaughtered’s Danielle and Adam Busby Detail Her Alarming Battle With Autoimmune Disease
-
West Baltimore Residents, Students Have Mixed Feelings About Water Quality After E. Coli Contamination