Canadian wildfires prompt evacuations as smoke threatens US air quality
Massive Canadian wildfires prompt evacuations of 17,000; heavy smoke expected to reduce air quality across US Midwest and East Coast.
Severe wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have forced nearly 17,000 people to evacuate as fires burn hundreds of thousands of acres.
Authorities have declared states of emergency and called in the military to assist, as hundreds of thousands of acres are being charred.
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Canadian fire's smoke expected to impact US air quality
According to Canada's Department of Natural Resources, residents in the United States are expected to experience poor air quality from the smoke from the fires as soon as May 30.
Midwestern states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan are expected to be reached by the smoke, alongside the Carolinas, by May 31; as stated by FireSmoke Canada.
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Wildfires in Canada
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the blazes have burned around 696,000 acres in Saskatchewan and 173,000 acres in Manitoba. However, the province of Ontario has also been reached by the fire, and 130,000 acres have burned
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is not so optimistic about the state of affairs. In a news conference on May 29, he stated that the situation ahead will be very difficult: "I do fear things are going to deteriorate with the weather we have ahead of us in the days ahead."
