Western North America
The West is no stranger to fire, but this year is off to a raging start. Major fires are burning in 12, including two in Oregon and California that have created their own weather systems at various points, including a firenado. The situation is already so dire and resources already so battered by previous seasons that the Forest Service chief declared it a “national wildfire crisis,” and we’re still months away from the fall fire season in California when Diablo and Santa Ana winds can fan flames of even greater intensity.
British Columbia has also see monster fires burn largely uncontrolled. The province along with Alberta saw 710,000 bolts of lightning in a single day, many of which reached the ground and ignited fires in remote, hard-to-reach locations. Humans have also caused fires, including one that burned down the entire town of Lytton, British Columbia, just a day after it set the record for Canada’s hottest temperature.
