Canadian Wildfires: Causes, Control, and Consequences.

Canada is experiencing its worst-ever start to wildfire season, with blazes spreading across about 4.3 million hectares and creating hazardous smoky conditions across the continent and beyond. As of early Friday, there were 427 active wildfires, of which 232 were out of control. The fires have spread across the western and eastern provinces of Canada, displacing more than 30,000 people and shutting down oil and gas production. The cause of the fires is believed to be either lightning or accidentally caused by human activity. The fires are affecting air quality, with acrid clouds of smoke and ash continuing to affect daily life for people in the US and Canada for the next several days. The fires are also believed to be linked to climate change, with a warming planet producing hotter and longer heatwaves, making for bigger, smokier fires.