Wildfires Burning Across Canada Also Affecting the US Northeast

Forest fires continued to burn in several areas of Canada on Thursday affecting the northeastern United States as well.

Thousands of people in Canada have fled their homes. In the U.S., many American cities are under a billowing haze¹.

Canada's Federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said 3.8 million hectares have already burned. He said that is about 15 times the 10-year average.

Wildfires are common in Canada. However, it is unusual for fires to burn in the eastern part of the country and the west. This has stretched the resources of Canada's firefighters. The government has used military resources to help in the effort. Hundreds of U.S. firefighters also arrived in Canada to help, and more are expected.

On social media, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed climate change. "These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods², and our air quality," Trudeau said on Twitter.

Some of the most severe fires are in the eastern province of Quebec. More than 11,000 people had to flee their homes there.

Wildfire season started early in Alberta last month. Large areas have burned in that western province. In the east, Nova Scotia continues to fight forest fires in several areas.

The Pacific province of British Columbia is also facing big wildfires. Temperatures were predicted to reach 33 Celsius³ on Thursday before thunderstorms and heavy rains arrive on Friday.

Rob Schweitzer is executive⁴ director of BC Wildfire Service, a part of the government of British Columbia. Schweitzer said lightning strikes could start more fires in dry forests. He said a lot depends on how much rain comes with the storms.

"When you get 150 or 200 strikes in one day from lightning coming through the province, it's impossible to have enough resources to suppress⁵ them all," he said.

Wildfires have eased in Alberta, the center of Canada's oil and gas industry. But more than 3,000 people remain under evacuation orders and heat warnings are in effect in the south of the province.

Smoke-forecasting website BlueSky Canada showed wildfire smoke spreading across much of the country on Thursday. The smoke is expected to worsen in the Canadian cities of Ottawa and Toronto.

In the United States, the cities of Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are expected to have continued poor air quality. The smoke is expected to affect other cities along the East Coast of the United States, including New York City. There, Mayor Eric Adams advised people to stay inside because of the poor air quality.

Words in This Story

billow — v. to move as an expanding cloud or similar thing in the air

haze — n. dust or smoke that reduces the clarity⁶ of the air

routine — n. something that people do regularly or everyday

evacuation — n. the process of moving people out of an area for their safety; moving out of an area to avoid danger

1 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

2 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

5 suppress   

vt.压制，镇压，查禁，抑制，阻止

参考例句：

• He continued to suppress the people and serve the imperialists.他继续镇压人民，为帝国主义效劳。
• She was struggling to suppress her sobs.她拼命不让自己哭出来。

6 clarity   

n.清澈，透明，明晰

参考例句：

• His writing has great clarity of style.他的写作风格清晰易懂。
• Mozart's music is characterized by its naivety and clarity.莫扎特的音乐特色是纯朴兴清澈。