Canada has been grappling with one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in its history. As per news reports, there are 143 active wildfires in Quebec, which includes 73 in the northern areas, as of 7th July, 2023. According to Quebec’s forest fire prevention agency SOPFEU, only three out of the total fires are considered out of control, particularly in the area around Chibougamau, which is located on the northwest of Quebec City.
“The rain that fell in the past few days helped contain the fires and, as well, the work that has been done over the past month means that even if the fires are still not extinguished, under control, they’re much safer than they were, the communities,” Stéphane Caron, a spokesman for the agency SOPFEU, said in an interview.
He further added that firefighters are continuously working to secure areas around the blazes where they may threaten communities.
Quebec is facing a worrying situation, with a significant increase in forest fires in recent times. Hot, dry weather conditions have created an environment conducive to the rapid spread of fires. Authorities and fire-fighting teams are working tirelessly to bring the situation under control and protect our precious forest resources.
CartoVista has designed an interactive map, updated daily, to provide a visual overview of the situation, information such as when did the fire start, its progress, active numbers of fire per municipality, fire and smoke situation, extinguished fires, and air quality per municipality etc. . Besides, satellite imagery by NASA and interactive maps from SOPFEU are also helping the fire fighters and local communities to be aware of the situation and tackle it.
Forest fire situation in Quebec
This picture is based on public data from SOPFEU. The size of the symbols indicates the surface area of each fire, while the colour represents the current status. When available, the outline of each traffic light is also displayed. This visualization provides a better understanding of the extent and status of forest fires across the province.
Over 90% of fires are caused by lightning, and the remainder of fires are attributable to anthropogenic causes such as industrial operations, railroads, recreational activities or irresponsible behaviour by residents. Understanding the causes of fires is crucial to implementing effective prevention measures.
Affecting the neighbouring regions
Canada is home to 9% of the world’s forests and during the wildfire season (May-October), the blazes force people to evacuate their homes and the air quality gets affected for Americans and the smoke stretches as far as Europe.
The areas affected by heavy smoke, based on NASA’s satellite imagery. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire centre, on Monday there were around 493 active fires across Canada, which burned more than 19 million acres of land.
“The long-range transport of smoke that we are currently monitoring is not unusual, and not expected to have any significant impact on surface air quality in Europe,” said Mark Parrington, a senior scientist with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, “but it is a clear reflection of the intensity of the fires that such high values of aerosol optical depth and other pollutants associated with the plume are so high as it reaches this side of the Atlantic.”
The forest fire situation in Quebec continues to give cause for concern. Fire-fighting teams, in collaboration with SOPFEU, continue to deploy considerable efforts to contain fires and protect communities. It is crucial to remain vigilant, to follow the instructions of the authorities and to take appropriate preventive measures to minimize the risk of fire. CartoVista makes it possible to effectively visualize the information provided by various stakeholders such as SOPFEU, who are playing an essential role in managing this crisis.
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