More than two dozen fires are burning in Alberta and 10,000 people have been forced from their homes. The smoke is blocking the sun in the Upper Midwest.
See drone footage released by the Alberta government:
The smoke has drifted into Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington State and Wyoming. In most of Montana, air quality is hazardous.
All week, the smoke has been unhealthy for people like me with asthma.
Massive wildfires are the result of climate change. Drought, longer fire seasons, higher temperatures and massive wildfires were predicted by climate scientists 30-40 years ago.
Did Alberta not have a winter this year? Shouldn't there still be snow or at least high moisture?
@rougueflyer
Alberta had a drought. Highs in the 90s. Climate change.
Winter snow does not help. Excess Spring moisture grows grasses tall and lush, which then dry out at higher temperatures.
Lightning strikes dry grasses and BOOM!
That's what happened when a idiot 15-year-old guy threw fireworks into dry trees below in scenic Columbia River Gorge, Oregon on Labor Day weekend.
Dry trees and vegetation exploded with fire, stranding 153 hikers overnight, evaculting the town of Cascade Locks, and destroying the nationally-beloved, scenic area.
The teen schmuck who started the fire has been ordered to pay $36.6 million. He belongs in prison.
Part of his sentence should be hand-digging fire breaks in brutal smoke and heat, helping firefighters fight wildfires during the summer.
@LiterateHiker Climate change seems to be affecting the polar areas the most.
Funny with this rain in the upper mid west, one would wonder why the rains did not obscure the smoke?
Yes way too early,,BC had a major fire in April ,away ahead of the fire season and even before they had set up to fight fires this year and Alberta is getting way to many right now,and the season is just getting going,,snow melt does not do much for early prevention anymore
Just returned from lobbying state congress in Salem. Dems are trying to get HB 2020 a carbon cap bill through congress. All Republicans Representatives and Senators are against. One Republican aid said they haven't discussed the climate with their Senator since 2017. Go figure.