International

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Authorities in New York, Toronto and Ottawa are warning their citizens of the serious dangers posed by the long-term consequences of major fires in eastern Canada. Fire pollutes the air, which can harm health.

Fires are burning in almost every Canadian province and territory, with Quebec hardest hit due to several fires sparked by lightning.

There will be at least 400 fires across Quebec, Canada, throughout 2023. The fires have affected nearly nine million people in Canada and burned half a million plots of land in Quebec.
A fire season with an unusual pattern and alarming intensity means Canada is facing the worst period in its history.

Hot, dry weather is expected to continue for months to come.
The New York State Department of the Environment has issued a health alert for residents of several counties, including New York City, the Bronx and Queens.

The state government strongly recommends that residents limit vigorous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of negative impacts on their health.
Canada's capital, Ottawa, which borders Quebec, was shrouded in fog on Tuesday morning (6/6/2023).

The city's air quality has reached level 10+, the worst level of the Air Quality Index published by Environment Canada, indicating a very high risk to public health.

“Smog from local wildfires as well as wildfires in Quebec has caused a drastic reduction in air quality,” Environment Canada said in an alert regarding air quality in Ottawa, cited by Reuters.

The situation is no better in Toronto's airspace, where the air is also polluted and expected to persist through this week.
It should not be ignored that wildfire smoke can have serious health consequences, even at low concentration levels.

People with lung or heart conditions, as well as vulnerable groups like the elderly, children and pregnant women, are at higher risk of suffering health problems from exposure to smoke from these wildfires. , said Environment Canada.

On Tuesday (6/6/2023), Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly sincerely thanked the United States, Mexico, South Africa and France for sending fire crews to help manage this situation.

Although wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, they spread quickly this year in the east, forcing the evacuation of homes and forcing the federal government to involve the armed forces in efforts to 'intervention.

The area of ​​burned land reached about 3.3 million hectares, about 13 times the average of the last 10 years, and more than 120,000 people had to evacuate their homes at least temporarily.

“I must emphasize that people must continue to listen to instructions from local authorities on how to maintain safety, especially in areas affected by wildfire smoke, such as in Ottawa,” said the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

With forest fires showing no signs of abating, it is hoped that residents in affected areas will remain vigilant and comply with instructions given by authorities, in order to best preserve their health and safety.

(maé)