A wildfire displaying “extreme fire behavior” is currently threatening a small community in the province of British Columbia, Canada. So far, thousands of people have been evacuated as the harmful wildfire smoke has spread to northern regions of the United States.
The wildfire at Parker Lake in northeastern British Columbia has rapidly intensified over the past weekend, doubling in size to over 13,000 acres and approaching the community of Fort Nelson. The fire behavior prediction indicates that Fort Nelson may be affected as of the morning of May 13th, according to Ben Boghean, a wildfire behavior expert at the British Columbia Wildfire Service Center.
Reports from CNN stated that on the afternoon of May 11th, the Parker Lake wildfire raged on, prompting the evacuation of around 3,200 residents in northeastern British Columbia. Approximately 2,800 residents from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and around 450 indigenous residents from Fort Nelson were instructed to evacuate.
Wildfire behavior experts at the British Columbia Wildfire Service warned of strong winds forecasted for Monday morning, potentially leading to a significant wildfire assault on Fort Nelson.
According to Canada’s CBC News, local officials mentioned that the fire had spread to an area about 1.5 kilometers away from Fort Nelson.
The Parker Lake wildfire is not the sole wildfire currently affecting Canada. Across the country, over 100 wildfires are burning, with 39 of them out of control, as reported by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
Due to the uncontrolled MWF-017 wildfire near Fort McMurray in northeastern Alberta, evacuation alerts have been issued in parts of the province. By Sunday morning, the fire had scorched an area of 16,000 acres.
In response to the smoke generated by the wildfires, Canada’s Environment Department released a special air quality statement extending from British Columbia to Saskatchewan.
This has also led to harmful smoke reaching northern regions of the United States for the first time this year, impacting Wisconsin and Minnesota. Data from AirNow.gov indicated that on Monday morning, the air quality in southern Minnesota reached “unhealthy” levels.
The high levels of particulate matter present in the air due to the wildfires could cause health issues for sensitive individuals or those engaged in outdoor activities for extended periods. Wildfire smoke is associated with an increase in certain cancers, heart-related problems, and other illnesses, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Canada experienced its most severe wildfire season on record last year. In British Columbia alone, over 28,400 square kilometers of forests and lands were incinerated, hundreds of homes were destroyed, and tens of thousands of people were displaced. The wildfire smoke even spread to several regions in the United States, impacting tens of millions of Americans. Hazy conditions were observed in places like New York.
Wildfire smoke is particularly hazardous as it contains fine particles like PM2.5. Once inhaled, these particles can penetrate lung tissues and enter the bloodstream.
Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the Commissioner of Health in New York City, previously warned, “Fine particulate matter in the air can enter the lungs, causing inflammation and exacerbating diseases such as asthma, chronic lung diseases, or underlying heart conditions.”