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From
climate scientist Paul Beckwith:
"This
is bad. In 2012 when all the fires were burning in the north over
Siberia the mega-cyclone that occurred in the Arctic sucked in all
that energy and black carbon ash increasing the melting of the ice
and Greenland. Looks like this may be setting up again."
80
wildfires burn in the Yukon
Smoky
conditions creating health risk
On
July 14, 2013, the Moderate
Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS)
on NASA’s Aqua satellite
capturedthis
image of
three large wildfires burning in the Yukon territory of western
Canada. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected
unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fire. The image
is centered at 136° West longitude and 62.5° North latitude
Smoke
is becoming a fact of life for Yukoners as more than 80 forest fires
burn around the territory.
Dr.
Brendan Hanley, Yukon's Medical Officer of Health, says breathing
smoke can be a serious risk for infants, the elderly or people with
heart and lung problems. His advice is to stay indoors, avoid
strenuous exercise and keep medication handy.
The
largest fires in the Yukon are blazing through the forests east of
Carmacks. Hanley says planning is underway to help those most
vulnerable.
In
Carmacks, the local nurse has made plans with individuals who are
known to have chronic respiratory conditions in the event that
symptoms increase or smoke rolls in.
Emergency
measures planner Richard Cherpak said no communities, including
Carmacks, are in immediate danger.
“This
fire is a known commodity,” he said. “It is a known distance. We
have actions to be taken if it does make a run, so there is some
time.”
Firefighters
are urging everyone to be careful to avoid lighting any new fires
that could quickly get out of hand. Weather forecasters are calling
for continued warm weather and the potential for lightning storms.
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