of the US states exposed to toxic fumes

The situation continues to deteriorate. On Wednesday, June 7, toxic fumes fell on several American cities coming from eastern Canada, severe forest fires.

The unusually severe and early start to the fire season is raising fears for Canada of a particularly devastating year, as hot and dry conditions are expected to continue for several months.

South of the border, more than a dozen US states were under air quality warnings Wednesday as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south, casting a faint gray on the New York skyline, all the way to Virginia and Indiana.

“If you have heart or respiratory problems, be careful when you are outdoors. Smoke from the wildfires in Canada affects the air in our city, which is why a High Quality Health Advisory Air has been issued. Try to limit outdoor activities today to Absolute necessities, warned New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Similar instructions were issued in several other US cities including Baltimore, Maryland, where authorities advised residents to limit outdoor efforts.

Almost all provinces and territories in Canada are affected by these fires, particularly the province of Quebec. The country’s second-most populous region has seen four times as many wildfires so far as the 10-year average, with about 149 active fires as of Wednesday.

More than 3 million hectares have burned

Residents of the northern Quebec towns of Shibugamaw and Ji-Bogomo received evacuation orders on Tuesday night, after thousands of people were forced from their homes in the province last week.

In neighboring Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, air quality is expected to deteriorate this week in cities such as Ottawa and Toronto, due to billowing plumes of smoke from wildfires in Quebec.

Wildfires are common in Canada’s western provinces, but this year the fires have grown rapidly in the country’s east, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and the federal government to send the army in place.

Some 3.3 million hectares have already burned, 13 times more than the 10-year average, and more than 120 million hectares. 000 people have been forced, at least temporarily, from their homes.

with Reuters