Commonwealth_ Smoke from the huge Canadian fires shrouded the US Midwest in a thick haze that caused sudden air quality decline and confined millions of Americans indoors. The damage is extensive in much of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and health authorities have issued air quality alerts covering an estimated 22 million people in the area.
Over 100 raging wildfires in Manitoba, the Canadian province, are blowing smoke. The fires have already burned over 4.8 million acres of land, which isnearly 11 times larger than the area’s average annual burn. With the wildfires continuing to burn uncontrollably, massive plumes of smoke continue to blow south, darkening skies and presenting serious health risks south of the border.
Perhaps the most terrifying part of this crisis is the smoke’s fine particulate matter, or PM2.5. The infinitely microscopic particles are tiny enough to pass deep into lungs and bloodstreams and bring about breathing and cardiovascular issues. Air has been at “very unhealthy” to “hazardous” levels in parts of Minnesota and Michigan, and even a single town is boasting a particularly dismal air quality index of 940—way, way beyond safe levels.
Public health officials are urging the general public, and particularly vulnerable populations, to act now. Young children, older individuals, pregnant women, and individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular or lung disease are most vulnerable and are being urged to remain indoors at all times. Even otherwise healthy individuals are being urged to restrict outdoor activities and be on the lookout for the symptoms of cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
Because of the poisonous air, schools and daycares have kids indoors, and hospitals are taking in asthmatics and other respiratory patients experiencing asthma attacks. Officials in public health are advising citizens to keep windows shut, use high-capacity air cleaners, and wear tightly fitting KN95 masks when venturing outside is unavoidable.
In addition to the health issue, the fires also heightened political tensions between Canada and the United States. Six members of the Minnesota and Wisconsin legislatures signed a letter to the Canadian ambassador in which they were outraged by the manner in which the smoke interfered with the day-to-day life of their constituents. They complained about ruined summer vacations and would like to know what Canada is doing to make sure that the crisis is not being worsened further.
In response, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew emphasized the magnitude of the wildfire issue in his province. He clarified that the fires not only consumed huge expanses of forest cover but also resulted in loss of lives and forced more than 13,000 residents out of their homes. Kinew said the wildfires were a record-breaking issue, one that required greater understanding and cooperation and less finger-pointing.
Although the frequency of Canadian wildfire haze crossing into the U.S. is a periodic event, this year’s severity and duration of such events have led observers to contemplateating long-term implications for public health and intergovernmental cooperation. They warn that, absent more significant measures of mitigation—such as more rigorous forest management and climate resilience strategy—such events will only intensify and become more frequent in the future if fire activity continues to expand.
When the two countries are cleaning up the ashes later, the catastrophe is an expression of common will to defy the greater environmental forces that ignite apocalypse fires. Relief is in the shape of emergency services and public health vigilance, but there shall be long-term solutions in joint efforts on national and international levels.
