FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Canada is facing a new wave of wildfires, with over 200 fires still burning out of control. The most critical situation is in the province of Ontario, while thick smoke from the flames has spread to the northeastern United States, affecting millions of residents.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), out of 896 active fires across the country, 206 remain uncontrolled. In the last 24 hours alone, 70 new fires have been recorded.
Although this year's season is considered less destructive than the record-breaking 2023 season, authorities warn that the intensity of the fires has increased significantly over the past week. According to federal government data, about 28 million hectares of land have burned so far, compared with about 16 million hectares just a week ago.
The situation is most alarming in Ontario, where more than 80 fires remain out of control. The province has requested assistance from the federal government, while firefighters from other regions of the country have been deployed on the ground, along with more than 80 aircraft and helicopters to extinguish the flames. Authorities have announced that 39 more aircraft are on standby to evacuate residents of isolated areas.
In some communities, especially indigenous ones, residents have been forced to organize their own evacuations, accusing authorities of a lack of coordination. In the community of Collins, about 200 kilometers north of Thunder Bay, residents fled by boat and then walked through forest roads surrounded by flames. According to community leaders, the village has been almost completely destroyed.
"Many memories went up in smoke, we lost our history," said community leader Linda Debasij, adding that she was forced to return to the area affected by the fire to search for two residents for whom she had no information.
So far, no casualties have been reported, while evacuees have taken shelter in cities such as Thunder Bay and Toronto.
Meanwhile, wind-blown smoke has significantly worsened air quality not only in Toronto, but also in several major cities in the United States. According to Swiss company IQAir, Detroit, Chicago and Washington were among the cities with the highest air pollution in the world during the first hours of the day.
Canadian weather services are warning that air quality in Toronto is expected to deteriorate again over the weekend, as authorities continue efforts to bring under control one of the most intense fire seasons in recent years.
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