According to the European Union’s climate monitor, the colossal wildfires currently raging in Canada have released twice the smoke emissions than any previous record for an entire year. As of the end of July, these catastrophic blazes have charred approximately 30 million acres—an expanse larger than Cuba or South Korea—and the fire season isn’t over yet.
Rapidly Rising Carbon Emissions and Intensifying Climate Crisis
Europe’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been tracking the fires since their start in May. It reported that this year’s total carbon emissions have already doubled the highest annual smoke pollution recorded in 2014. With the peak of the wildfire season in late July and early August, these emissions will likely continue to escalate.
The escalating wildfires in Canada and also in Russia are reflective of the larger global climate crisis. More recently, wildfires have been blazing further north, including within the Arctic Circle, significantly contributing to smoke emissions. Current wildfire carbon emissions from Canada are around 290 megatons, dwarfing the 2014 record of 138 megatons. As Canada is among the regions experiencing the fastest rates of warming worldwide, the intensity and frequency of such extreme weather events are set to increase.
