Satellite imagery shows western Canada covered in a solid blanket of wildfire smoke

https://news.yahoo.com/photos-...mcoWOI08wLd0Boh2xRrM

================================================

Late summer, Last year, I traveled from Alaska south, and went through Alberta Canada.

There were wildfires then North of Jasper.

The smoke persisted all the way to Nebraska.

It was a spoiler.

It's worse now, and earlier.

Just how much forest can be burned?

I have friends traveling North now, destination Alaska. They are holed up in Wyoming now. They all caught Covid. They got the meds, so soon should be able to resume the trip.

I caught Covid last summer in Canada. Sort of miserable until I could get the meds.

Terrible air quality in Colorado due to the Canadian fires.

I sure wish them the best in getting things under control.

There is so much area subject to burn in the wrong conditions there.

With the beetle kill over recent years, lots of fuel, it was just a matter of time.

The traditional views on such a journey are spoiled. And breathing the rancid smoke is unpleasant too. No escape.

That’s impossible. There’s enough hot air blowing west out of Ottawa to keep any smoke out over the Pacific.

One would figure that's so.

what medicine are they getting?

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
what medicine are they getting?

I presume you're asking about the Covid.

Paxlovid

When I caught the Covid, in Canada, I had to wait a few days for meds since I couldn't get a prescription while traveling through. Symptoms were fever, headache, night sweats, couldn't sleep, etc. I went to a village clinic when I arrived. They made me wait outside in my vehicle while they ran the test. Then they gave me a prescription of Paxlovid. I felt better next day, and improved daily.

And point is?
Just don’t start with GW…

quote:

Originally posted by Kanec:
And point is?
Just don’t start with GW…

Okay. How about "unprecedented"?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/c...il-producing-region/

Canada wildfires force evacuation of 30,000 in scorched Alberta

Calling the situation "unprecedented," Alberta Premier Danielle Smith declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

The province — one of the world's largest oil-producing regions — "has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires," she said.

================================================

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weat...42495d9c73c3d67&ei=6

Smoke from unprecedented Canadian wildfires chokes skies over western US
Story by Adriana Navarro • 4h ago

Hazy skies continued to shroud parts of the western United States and Canada in late May amid an early start to the wildfire season. While the height of the wildfire season across North America has yet to begin, the blazes in Canada had an explosive start, already well ahead of historical averages.

The fires in Canada had scorched over 1.6 million hectares by May 21. By the same time last year, wildfires had burned "only" some 8,400 hectares, according to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). The center lists 136,863 hectares as the 10-year average area burned across Canada.

• The majority of the area burned is located in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, three provinces that border the U.S. Alberta has recorded the largest area burned at over 950,000 hectares. Some 406 fires -- active and doused -- have scorched Alberta in 2023 as of May 21, according to CIFFC. By the same date last year, only 236 fires had flared up.

• "In fact, [this is] the second-worst season already for Alberta on record, and we're only in the month of May," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok told AccuWeather Senior On-Air Meteorologist Kristina Shalhoup. "So it's going to be a really rough year."

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/..._beetle_strategy.pdf

Climate and weather contribute to widespread bark beetle infestations

===============================================

https://www2.unbc.ca/releases/...mountain-pine-beetle

Climate Change and the Mountain Pine Beetle

https://www.climatehotmap.org/...columbia-canada.html

The mountain pine beetle's ability to survive and multiply rapidly is highly sensitive to temperature2,3 and precipitation.4

Temperatures in the interior mountain ranges of British Columbia have risen faster than the global average, particularly during the winter.5,6
By 2010 the mountain pine beetle had killed almost 24.5 billion cubic feet (692 million cubic meters) of timber since scientists began tracking the infestation in 1999.7 That is more than nine times the allowable annual timber cut in British Columbia.8

The beetles have now managed to cross the Continental Divide, threatening the jack pine forests that reach across the continent to the East Coast of Canada and the United States.9,10

By killing off millions of acres of trees, the mountain pine beetle has turned infested lodgepole pine forests into a source of atmospheric carbon as the trees decay.11

Does this have any affect on duck/geese nesting habit? Two seasons ago was terrible drought for nesting. This would be a hard right behind that jab to waterfowl. Then, add the third punch of avian flu.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Does this have any affect on duck/geese nesting habit? Two seasons ago was terrible drought for nesting. This would be a hard right behind that jab to waterfowl. Then, add the third punch of avian flu.

We have bigger fish to fry right now than worry about that. About 90 fires burning right now and thousands of people evacuated in alberta, good news is rain seems to be making an appearance.

Grizz

Did not realize Western Canada was that populated.

Other than people and obviously, I do not see it as less an ecological concern.

Yes, stopping the fires is primary concern.

As far as affecting duck and goose hatcheries is concerned, one has to remember that Alberta is a large piece of territory, larger than Texas. Even with thousands of acres burning, most of Alberta is not. Fires, every summer, are a fact of life here.
One big concern, given recent history, is that RCMP might confiscate firearms from home left empty due to evacuations; like they did in High River. Regards, Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Leeper:
As far as affecting duck and goose hatcheries is concerned, one has to remember that Alberta is a large piece of territory, larger than Texas. Even with thousands of acres burning, most of Alberta is not. Fires, every summer, are a fact of life here.
One big concern, given recent history, is that RCMP might confiscate firearms from home left empty due to evacuations; like they did in High River. Regards, Bill

Most of those are in Eastern Alberta, safe for now. I'm thinking firearm owners learned from High river and have taken appropriate measures,

Grizz

Stopping fires is ultimately problem as we simply affect natural,process of fires clearing land and renewing of forests

So when ever had Earth perfect climate, where everyone humans and animals lived happily ever after?
No fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, torrential rains, heat waves, long winters with extreme temps…plagues…
Please sign me up

Ecuador is the place for you.