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Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Authorities in New York, Toronto and Ottawa are warning their citizens of the grave dangers posed by the long-term impact of the massive fires in eastern Canada. Fire makes the air polluted so that it interferes with health.

Fires are burning in almost every province and territory in Canada, with Quebec being the hardest hit with several blazes sparked by lightning.

At least 400 fires have occurred in Quebec, Canada, throughout 2023. The fires have affected nearly nine million people in Canada and burned half a million land in Quebec.
An unusual and alarmingly intense fire season has left Canada facing the worst period in its history.

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

The state government strongly advises citizens to limit strenuous physical activities outdoors to reduce the risk of negative impacts on their health.
The Canadian capital, Ottawa, which is directly adjacent to Quebec City, was shrouded in fog on Tuesday morning (6/6/2023).

The city’s air quality is 10+, the worst level of the Air Quality Health Index issued by Environment Canada, indicating a very high risk to public health.

“Haze resulting from local wildfires as well as wildfires in Quebec has caused a drastic reduction in air quality,” Environment Canada said in an air quality alert for Ottawa, quoted by Reuters.

The situation is also no better in the airspace of the city of Toronto, where the air is also polluted and expected to last all week.
It cannot be ignored that smoke from forest fires can have serious health effects, even at low levels of concentration.

According to Environment Canada, people with lung or heart disease, as well as vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and pregnant women, are at higher risk of experiencing health problems due to exposure to smoke from these forest fires.

On Tuesday (6/6/2023), Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, sincerely thanked the United States, Mexico, South Africa and France for sending fire crews to help handle this situation.

While wildfires are common in Canada’s western provinces, this year they have spread rapidly to the east, forcing the evacuation of homes and forcing the federal government to engage the armed forces in the response. .

The area of ​​land burned has reached about 3.3 million hectares, about 13 times the average of the past 10 years, and more than 120,000 people have been at least temporarily displaced from their homes.

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

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

(mae)