Canadian Wildfires Spark Transnational Air Pollution Crisis

Wildfires continued to spread across Canada, with 181 active wildfires across the country as at 2 June, 90 of which were out of control. The fire threatened to shut down oil sands operations in northern Alberta, covering more than 615 square kilometers and evacuating about 200 residents. The smoke spread southward in the winds, causing air quality to reach “unhealthy” levels in areas such as North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States, and Environment Canada has issued a long-term air pollution warning. The fires not only caused ecological damage, but also exposed the environmental vulnerability of high-carbon industries such as oil sands mining.