On June 27, Canada surpassed the record that had been set in 1989 for the amount of acreage scorched in a single season, when it hit 18.8 million acres or 7.6 million hectares. Even earlier in July, Fort Good Hope, situated in the Northwest Territories close to 66 degrees north latitude, experienced a record-breaking temperature of 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit - the warmest temperature ever recorded at this latitude in Canada. This combination of events has caused Canadians to reconsider their dealings with wildfires and plan for a future in which more of these will be the norm.
Record-breaking heat and an intense fire season are occurring simultaneously in Canada this summer, creating an exceptional combination of heat, fire, and hazardous smoke clouds. "I cannot stress enough how truly petrifying this moment is for our planet," commented Kristina Dahl, a primary climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, in an interview with CNBC. Human-generated greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to climate change, which is escalating global temperatures and intensifying the components required for wildfires to burn. Even if people ceased burning all fossil fuels now, decades would pass before the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere stopped warming the world. Thompson Rivers University of British Columbia's research chair for predictive services, emergency management, and fire science, Michael Flannigan, clarified, "If I had a magic wand and said, 'end all human-induced greenhouse gas production at this point in time,' we would still experience warming for 30 to 50 years." Such ongoing conditions are not the 'new normal'; instead, according to Flannigan, "we are on a continuous decline."
On June 27, Canada broke its 1989 record for total area burned in one season, reaching 7.6 million hectares, or 18.8 million acres, according to a communications officer for Natural Resources Canada. The number has since climbed to 9.3 million hectares, or 23 million acres, which is a size comparable to South Carolina. In general, the average is around 2.2 million hectares, equivalent to 5.4 million acres, or roughly the area of Massachusetts.
"The current wildfire season in Canada has been astounding and record breaking," Dahl stated to CNBC. As noted by Flannigan, the total amount of land burned this year will soon meet the equivalent of Maine. He added that it is unusual for the whole country to be afflicted with the same issue at the same time. "We're used to getting fires in the West, or the East, or in the north, or the central — but not the whole country at the same time," Flannigan explained to CNBC.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre's real-time dashboard shows that, as of 2:15pm EST on Thursday, there are currently 908 active fires across the country, with 576 being termed "out of control." Professor Flannigan from CNBC noted that the fire season is unlikely to be ending soon, as some of these fires are enormous and will burn for months - even through the winter - before resurfacing and continuing when the snow melts and conditions become dry and windy in the spring.
In July, the Earth experienced its hottest average day since records began, which was repeated three more times in the next four days. Canada was no exception; Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories, had a temperature of 37.4ᵒ C (99ᵒ F) – the highest ever recorded in Canada at that latitude. It got hotter nearby, according to news reports. Dahl commented on this phenomenon to CNBC, linking it to ‘heat domes’ – an event where hot air is trapped in the atmosphere. Flannigan – who worked at the Canadian Forest Service for over 30 years – told CNBC he’d never seen it get so hot so early. Hotter temperatures result in more dry vegetation, which is more prone to starting fires. Flannigan explained the effect of heat on moisture, saying it wasn’t linear but exponential. He also noted that warmer temperatures contribute to lightning, which is responsible for the majority of land burnt due to its remote nature.
According to Sarah Burch, a climate change professor at the University of Waterloo and executive director of the Waterloo Climate Institute, three crucial factors that lead to the spread of wildfires are fuel, ignition and weather. Burch also noted that climate change and land management have a role to play in the growth of wildfires. For instance, the mountain pine beetle is making trees potential fuel for wildfires and extended droughts are resulting in forests becoming more prone to catching fire. Consequently, Burch explained, "We expect fires to increase in frequency and intensity in the future," and those living in areas where wildfires could become more frequent will have to adapt accordingly.
Flannigan said that it is a common misconception that fire management can stop all fires all the time. Although firefighters can put out a small fire, large fires such as crown fires can spread quickly - in as little as 15 minutes. In these cases, there is nothing that can be done other than to move away from the area. The smoke from these fast-spreading fires is also travelling to other parts of the world, such as in July when smoke from Canada spread to the United States mid-west and Eastern seaboard. Flannigan believes that there is no silver bullet to address the problem and the only solution is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. He also believes that people often need to suffer before they change behavior, and that there is still time for us to do something about fossil fuels.
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