Severe wildfires from Nova Scotia to British Columbia have cast a literal pall over the country – just as they have wreaked havoc around the world, from Maui to Greece to China – both as an everyday irritant and health scare, and as a dark manifestation of global warming. The more than 20,000 residents of the Northwest Territories who have been ordered to leave their homes, often along highways turned into corridors of flame, comes as the latest and most extreme reminder that the effects of a heating planet are literally at our doors.
Devon Allie, a 24-year-old software engineer living in Montreal, said the thick veil of smoke that descended on the city in June made him think of a volcanic eruption.
“For so long we’ve heard about climate change but you’ve never felt the impact so clearly and starkly,” he said. “When you see the whole city covered in smoke, which never happens, it’s a real show-stopper. Especially when the sun turns red. You can’t get more apocalyptic than that.” – The number of air quality bulletins issued by Environment Canada gives some indication of how smoky 2023 has been, as forest fires have struck from coast to coast, and often in regions, like the Maritimes and Quebec, that are unaccustomed to them. Between 2017 and 2022, the average number of warnings issued during wildfire season was 897. This year, the ministry has already released 3,166, more than three times as many.
Approaching the end of August with El Nino affecting conditions worldwide, scientists have been expecting things to get wild, and, well,here we are. Brief scan of North American extremes include fire, drought, flood, and heat.
The "heat dome" completely zeroes out a chance of rain or a thunderstorm, probably not even a cloud for 7-days. Without wildfire smoke, it's as hot as it can get in mid-August. pic.twitter.com/iGlOaLEixb
Below, Reed Timmer previews hazards in San Bernardino Mountains of California.
Police informing neighborhoods in the San Bernardino mountains of being cut off by flash flooding tonight and tomorrow with Tropical Cyclone Hilary. Catastrophic flooding expected @accuweatherpic.twitter.com/4F10RFnJgo
⚡🌀⚡🌧️ URGENT – California: The Salton Sea is flooding, northwest of Ocotillo, from predawn rain dumpers in the mountains because heavy rain preceding Hurricane Hilary.
Below, permafrost expert Merrit Turetsky explains fire impact on permafrost ground.
Permafrost (frozen ground) is the backbone of northern ecosystems and contains more than twice the amount of carbon as is in the atmosphere. Some of my sites had happy permafrost for the past couple of yrs but the 2023 fire season in 🇨🇦 is going to trigger widespread thaw. pic.twitter.com/vKrd8TztbN
The Smith River Complex burning in the Six Rivers National Forest, California, has displayed very intense fire behavior. #cali#NorCal#cafire#cawx#wildfire This area is known for very steep and rugged terrain that will provide fire the perfect template to rip.
Example of some serious boulders being moved by a flood: