Expect More Instances of Wildfire Smoke Covering the U.S. East Coast in the Future

A warning has been issued by researchers that the recent wildfires in eastern Canada, which caused dangerous air pollution levels and an orange haze on the U.S. East Coast, are a sign of the times. It is projected that conditions for fires will become more common across Canada, Russia, and Alaska's boreal forests due to climate change. The current fires were sparked by lightning in Quebec, which, like much of Canada, was abnormally dry this spring. The smoke from the fires, which is a mix of irritant gases and tiny particles, can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems and can worsen existing conditions such as diabetes and chronic lung diseases.

The Pacific Northwest and the U.S. West are familiar with wildfire-driven air pollution, but it is less common in the eastern part of North America. Thus, researchers hope that June's headline-grabbing haze will remind East Coast policy makers of the hazards of climate change. Climate change is expected to boost fires across large boreal forest areas in the Northern Hemisphere. Wildfires in Alaska's boreal forests burned more acres in the past 20 years than in the previous 20 years, with burned area expected to increase steeply by the middle of the century. Fire seasons are also projected to last longer and produce larger fires each year, and climate change may increase the frequency of lightning strikes that spark fires.

The Canadian government has reported that Canada's fire outlook remains higher than normal for June, and it is an exceptional situation exacerbated by drought conditions associated with climate change. The threat of severe fires in Canada and the United States is expected to remain high in the coming weeks.