Latest news with #CanadianForestService
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
U.S. issues travel alert for Canada. Here's why — and what travellers should know
U.S. officials are warning American citizens about Canada's already active wildfire season if they're considering travel across their northern border. Canada was affected by 'record-breaking wildfires' in all 13 provinces and territories last year, the U.S. Embassy notes in its advisory, issued by the U.S. Department of State on June 11. In its wildfire outlook, released June 12, the government of Canada said Canadians could face a severe wildfire season. An estimated 225 wildfires are currently burning in Canada, including 121 of deemed 'out of control,' U.S. officials explained. Overall July and August, the summer trend is expected to be generally drier and warmer than normal conditions . 'With this, we anticipate greater than average fire risk in July and August,' explained Liam Buchart, fire weather specialist with the Canadian Forest Service. American visitors to Canada are advised to follow the federal government's guidance on what to do before, during and after a wildfire. 'We urge U.S. citizens visiting or living in Canada to be aware of wildfire conditions in their area and follow guidance from local authorities,' the U.S. Embassy added. More than 3.7 million hectares of land has burned so far this year, with thousands of firefighters working to contain them. At the same time, Canadians are urged in an updated travel advisory to 'stay away from demonstrations' happening in Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities . Large demonstrations have been taking place in Los Angeles since June 6, with demonstrations spreading to other major cities, shortly after. Protesters have demonstrated across the U.S. in opposition to immigration raids ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hundreds of U.S. marines were deployed to L.A. by Trump following the protests that erupted. Additional security forces have been deployed and a curfew is in effect for most of downtown Los Angeles from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. — additional curfew orders may be imposed on short notice, the Canadian government warns. According to the Los Angeles Times' live coverage , the protests have slowed. If you are in an affected area, the Canadian government says to stay away from demonstrations, follow the instructions of local authorities, including curfew orders, and monitor local media for the latest information. — with files from Mike Pearson Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
France 24
5 days ago
- Climate
- France 24
Canada wildfire near Vancouver contained
Residents of British Columbia's Squamish district, which is just 64 kilometers (40 miles) north of the major city of Vancouver, had been on standby to evacuate as a blaze approached. But British Columbia's wildfire service said over the weekend that the Squamish fire was "being held" and the community now faced a "decreased risk." Residents of the coastal area told AFP last week that the size of the fire came as a shock. Marc-Andre Parisien, a researcher at the Canadian Forest Service, has said that fires near the ocean like the one that had threatened Squamish were concerning as such areas have not previously seen major wildfires. Two years after a historically devastating summer, Canada is once again facing a massive fire season, with burned areas already exceeding year-to-date averages from recent years. More than 220 active fires were burning across the country on Monday, with 90 of them considered out of control. Nearly four million hectares (15,400 square miles) have already been consumed by flames, an area slightly smaller than Switzerland. East of Squamish, in Canada's Prairies region, some 10,000 people who had been ordered to evacuate were cleared to head home as of Friday, as fire threats eased due to favorable weather conditions. But Canadian officials have warned the country faces an increased wildfire risk through the summer, with higher than normal temperatures expected in many regions. In recent years, Canada has experienced warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the globe. Linked to human-induced climate change, rising temperatures lead to reduced snow, shorter and milder winters, and earlier summer conditions that promote fires, experts say.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-06-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
A burning question
As gardeners, we make thoughtful decisions when designing our landscapes. We consider existing features, follow basic design principles and choose what we think will be the most attractive plants that will make our gardens unique. We also adhere to eco-friendly practices that support pollinators and improve soil conditions by applying organic mulch. When at last our garden tasks are completed in spring, we relax and spend time enjoying the beauty of our outdoor spaces. Fire changes everything. Becky Slater photo A lush, hydrated lawn like this one increases resilience, while a lawn that is dried out is a fire risk. At the time of this writing, there are 29 active wildfires in Manitoba as well as wildfires across Western Canada and parts of Ontario. In Winnipeg, wildfire smoke from communities hundreds of kilometres away is damaging air quality, but that's only one of the impacts of wildfire season that we face. As wildfires become more prevalent and intense in Canada and the United States, there is a greater focus on creating fire-wise landscapes — prioritizing the use of fire-resistant plants that can play a role in creating a defensible space to help protect homes and cottages. As lists of fire-resistant plants proliferate on social media, it's essential to understand that fire-resistance does not mean fire-proof. While current research has identified specific characteristics that make some plants less combustible than others, the research continues to be updated. FireSmart Canada is a national program that is supported by federal, provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies and partners with municipal governments and the private sector. The information on its website ( helps homeowners mitigate the risks and impacts of fires. According to FireSmart Canada, fire-resistant plants have moist, supple leaves, accumulate minimal dead material, have a low amount of resin, and feature water-like sap with little or no odour. Highly flammable plants, on the other hand, contain dry, dead material, or have stems, branches and leaves that contain volatile waxes, terpenes or oils. Plants that have resinous sap with a strong odour and plants with loose papery bark that can ignite readily are also problematic. Bernadette Vangool photo Nepeta dropmore hybrid catmint is a hardy, fire-smart perennial. It's also important to consider how plants are placed in the landscape and the use of organic mulches. Tim Lynham is a forest fire researcher and fire scientist who worked for more than 35 years with Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service. His house in Sudbury, Ont. is about a kilometre away from dense forest. One year, Lynham spent the whole summer working at Norway House waterbombing fires. 'Now, Norway House is under threat from fires, so it's kind of personal to me,' he says. Lynham says coniferous plants such as Colorado blue spruce are more fire prone than broadleaf deciduous plants such as poplar and birch. 'Coniferous plants have oils in the green leafy material. If you take a fresh branch off a coniferous tree, for example, a balsam fir or a pine, and throw it on a fire, it crackles regardless of how much moisture content may be in the needles, because the oils in the needles overcome the moisture content and the needles burn. 'Broadleaf vegetation is a slightly better choice than plants that are coniferous or contain volatile oils, but when conditions are extreme — hot, dry, and droughty — then coniferous and broadleaf species can all be fire prone,' he says. Colleen Zacharias photo For a fire-smart landscape design, use low groundcovers and decorative rock in the area closest to your house, but keep organic mulch further away. So, if you live in an area that has been close to wildfires, don't plant coniferous trees and shrubs near your house. His next piece of advice is another example of how our understanding of landscape resilience is changing. 'It is essential to not mulch your garden beds with organic mulches, such as wood chips or pine needles,' says Lynham. 'Embers can travel 10 or 15 kilometres ahead of fire. You can have a wonderful distribution of broadleaf plants around your house, and then if you mulch the beds with wood chips, that is 100 times worse. If conditions are hot and dry, wood chips and pine needles are very combustible if embers should land on them.' Fire-smart principles recommend replacing organic mulches with gravel mulch or a combination of plant mulch and decorative rock mulch. Keeping plants well-hydrated, including your lawn, is important. A healthy green lawn that is watered regularly can be considered relatively fire-resistant, says Lynham. 'However, grass that loses its colour and becomes chlorotic and has a low moisture content is no longer fire-resistant, it is actually fire-prone.' Leslie Cornell is a landscape horticulturist and president of Cornell Design Landscaping Ltd., which includes a garden centre and greenhouse in Moose Jaw, Sask. She represents Saskatchewan on the board of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and is on the professional development committee, which supports training to help landscapers better comply with FireSmart principles. 'FireSmart BC is developing an online course which will be available for landscape professionals across Canada,' Cornell explains. Bailey Nurseries photo Blizzard mockorange is a beautiful example of a fire-smart plant. Registrants will learn which types of plants should be planted in the four priority zones identified by FireSmart. The non-combustible zone, for example, is the area that is within 0 to 1.5 metres from your house. 'You don't want a cedar, juniper or mugo pine right beside your house,' says Cornell. 'They are flammable and need to be planted further away. It is important to keep them trimmed and irrigated.' Heike Stippler is the B.C. representative with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and owns Heike Designs Inc. in Whistler. Stippler and Cornell are both members of a working group devoted to plant watering and flammability research. 'Maintenance goes a long way in reducing (fire) risk versus removing all vegetation just to try to be fire smart,' she wrote in an email. 'We need to all be smarter, not just fire smart. 'In the long run, we need to increase vegetation and restore the water cycle. We can use waterwise and drought-tolerant plants, but they still need to establish and be healthy and watered. Water has become a problem in drought times, and weather extremes are increasing.' Creating a defensible space for wildfire safety means hydrating your plants. Avoid hazardous accumulations of deadwood and plant debris on your property. Prune tree branches that touch your roofline. Make sustainable plant choices and consider their placement carefully. Monthly What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. An email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing. FireSmart Canada recommends that if you choose fire-smart plants with higher water requirements, group them together for more efficient water use. The FireSmart Guide to Landscaping includes an extensive list of fire-safe, low-water trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses. Examples of fire-smart shrubs include Saskatoon serviceberry, false indigo, Aronia chokeberry, Redosier dogwood, beaked hazelnut, Cotinus smokebush, Philadelphus mock orange, potentilla, Nanking cherry, highbush cranberry, common lilac, Alpine currant, raspberry, snowberry, and more. Examples of fire-smart perennials include yarrow, monkshood, hollyhock, lady's mantle, swamp milkweed, Coreopsis tickseed, delphinium, Joe Pye weed, geranium sanguineum cranesbill, daylily hybrids, hosta, Nepeta catmint, Russian sage, Rudbeckia black-eyed Susan, and many more. 'We want to cosy our plants right up to our homes where we love them,' says Cornell, 'but now we need to plant them further away.' colleenizacharias@ Colleen ZachariasGardening columnist Colleen Zacharias writes about many aspects of gardening including trends, plant recommendations, and how-to information that is uniquely relevant to Prairie gardeners. She has written a column for the Free Press since 2010 and pens the monthly newsletter Winnipeg Gardener. Read more about Colleen. Every piece of reporting Colleen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
News18
12-06-2025
- Climate
- News18
Canada Wildfires: Thousands On Evacuation Standby Near Vancouver As Blazes Worsen
A state of emergency has been declared in Squamish, British Columbia, just 64 kilometres (40 miles) north of Vancouver, a city where the greater metropolitan area population exceeds three million. British Columbia's emergency management department warned late Tuesday that some residents of the Squamish district 'must be ready to leave on short notice." Max Whittenburg, a 19-year-old Squamish resident, told AFP he was 'in shock" to see the fire encroach so close to the community. 'I've never seen a fire in Squamish, at all, ever," the skateboard coach said. 'We've already prepared most of the stuff in our house just in case we do have to evacuate," he added. 'We'll be ready to go." Luke Procter, also 19, said he was staying up late and rising early to prepare, including by helping his father 'hook up the trailer to our jeep just in case we need to go." Marc-Andre Parisien, a researcher at the Canadian Forest Service, said fires near the coast like the one threatening Squamish are particularly worrying because 'these are areas that did not traditionally burn." More than 220 active fires were burning across the country Tuesday, with half of them considered out of control. More than 3.3 million hectares (12,700 square miles) have already been consumed by flames — an area equivalent to the country of Belgium. Smoke from Canadian fires has reached Europe after drifting across the Atlantic Ocean.
MTV Lebanon
12-06-2025
- Climate
- MTV Lebanon
Canada town near Vancouver ready to evacuate as fire nears
Residents of a town near Vancouver were on stand-by to evacuate Wednesday as Canada's devastating wildfire season worsened, with officials warning weather conditions through the summer were ripe for further blazes. A state of emergency has been declared in Squamish, British Columbia, just 64 kilometres (40 miles) north of Vancouver, a city where the greater metropolitan area population exceeds three million. British Columbia's emergency management department warned late Tuesday that some residents of Squamish district "must be ready to leave on short notice." Max Whittenburg, a 19-year-old Squamish resident, told AFP he was "in shock" to see the fire encroach so close to the community. "I've never seen a fire in Squamish, at all, ever," the skateboard coach said. "We've already prepared most of the stuff in our house just in case we do have to evacuate," he added. "We'll be ready to go." Luke Procter, also 19, said he was staying up late and rising early to prepare, including by helping his father "hook up the trailer to our jeep just in case we need to go." Marc-Andre Parisien, a researcher at the Canadian Forest Service, said fires near the coast like the one threatening Squamish are particularly worrying because "these are areas that did not traditionally burn." They remain less intense than fires further inland, but "we have more and more of them," he told AFP. Two years after a historically devastating summer, Canada is once again facing a massive fire season, with burned areas already exceeding year-to-date averages from recent years. More than 220 active fires were burning across the country Tuesday, with half of them considered out of control. More than 3.3 million hectares (12,700 square miles) have already been consumed by flames -- an area equivalent to the country of Belgium. Smoke from Canadian fires has reached Europe after drifting across the Atlantic Ocean. Increased risk Two provinces in central Canada -- Saskatchewan and Manitoba -- had rough starts to fire season, and had to declare a state of emergency at the end of May. There was positive news in Saskatchewan on Wednesday after what provincial Premier Scott Moe called "a vicious couple of weeks" combatting wildfires "that in some cases have virtually been unstoppable." Moe said that while the province is still confronting fires in northern Saskatchewan, roughly half of those who had been forced to evacuate are "gearing up" to return home. Mega wildfires are still burning in western Alberta, British Columbia, and in northern Ontario, the country's most populous province. In recent years, Canada has experienced warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the globe. Linked to human-induced climate change, rising temperatures lead to reduced snow, shorter and milder winters, and earlier summer conditions that promote fires, experts say. Environment Canada forecast this week that much of of the country was likely to see higher than normal temperatures throughout the summer. That, combined with dry spring conditions in several areas, "could increase the risk of wildfires in the coming months," the weather and climate agency said. Now, more than a dozen new fires are detected daily across Canada -- often started accidentally by humans, but sometimes ignited by lightning strikes.
