Washington/Toronto/New York (EFE).- Nearly 400 fires, more than half of them out of control, are devastating Canada and have significantly affected air quality not only in the country, but also in the United States, where several of their towns were shrouded in a layer of smoke on Wednesday that forced President Joe Biden to ask people to be extra careful.

Here are the highlights of this wave of fires that the Government of Canada attributed to climate change.

“Scary” situation in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not hesitate to describe the situation in his country, hit by around 400 fires, as “terrifying”. He did so during a press appearance he gave with six ministers, a sample of the seriousness of the problem.

Authorities attributed the wave of fires to climate change and warned that precisely for this reason it will be one of the worst seasons in living memory.

So far this year, there are already more than 2,200 fires produced, which have devastated more than three million hectares. The average for the past decade was 1,624 fires and 254,429 hectares consumed, according to data from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

More than 26,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Quebec is one of the most affected provinces, since there are approximately 160 fires on its territory, most of them uncontrolled.

Difficulty breathing

In Canada, the smoke generated has set off alarm bells in Toronto, the country’s largest population, where residents should refrain from spending time outdoors. In Ottawa, the capital, air quality is at an all-time low.

Until the weekend, the authorities predict that the situation will continue. It will be then that the foreseeable arrival of a low pressure front will renew the air.

The air quality alert due to the forest fires ravaging Canada extended this Wednesday to more than five American states, whose inhabitants woke up in the middle of the haze caused by the smoke.

Authorities alerted the public to the “dangerous” weather conditions and asked that outdoor activities be limited.

In New York, one of the first cities to receive fine particles in suspension traveling from the north of the continent, the alert for poor air quality will remain for “several days”. Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan asked New Yorkers to avoid going outside unless “absolutely necessary” and recommended the use of masks such as N95.

Additionally, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a “hazardous weather” alert for air quality in southern Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.

Massachusetts citizens advised to avoid “prolonged outdoor activities” due to the presence of smoke, which they plan to stay until Thursday, similar to New Jersey.

The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is on “red alert”. Its authorities have asked citizens to cancel outdoor activities, close doors and windows and be vigilant in case they experience symptoms such as nausea or difficulty breathing.

Smoke from the Canadian fires has also reached Washington, the nation’s capital, where the highest air quality alert was also declared for the first time in more than 10 years, the Washington Post reported.

Biden’s involvement

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday offered Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau his “unconditional support” in responding to the wave of wildfires.

So far, the United States has sent some 600 firefighters to Canada to battle the blazes and Biden has ordered that all necessary federal resources be used to put out the fires already affecting both countries.

During the telephone conversation between the two presidents, the two recognized “the need to work together to respond to the devastating impact of climate change” which is driving the increase in fires in Canada, according to the government. canadian.

Trudeau and Biden also spoke about the impact of smoke from the fires on the health of millions of people in Canada and the United States.

Consequences at airports

New York’s LaGuardia airports and Newark airports in neighboring New Jersey suffered significant delays due to low visibility caused by intense smoke blowing in from the north, caused by the wave of fires in Canada.

According to the Flightaware.com page, this Wednesday there were delays in 37% of flights that were to leave LaGuardia (with an average of 2 hours late), and in the case of Newark in 17% (82 minutes late ). ); there were also 19 cancellations at LaGuardia and 15 at Newark.

Curiously, the East Coast’s largest airport, New York’s JFK, appears to be operating normally and does not appear on any incident lists.

In Canada, Toronto airport is also experiencing delays on 18% of its flights.