• A third firefighter dies while battling the Donnie Creek fire in British Columbia.
• Evacuations ordered near the US border as fires continue to spread out of control.
• About 30 million acres of land burned this season,

Canada is facing its worst wildfire season on record, with a third firefighter losing their life while battling the Donnie Creek fire near Fort St John in British Columbia. The situation has prompted evacuations in areas near the US border, where fires continue to rage out of control. British Columbia is currently experiencing a third of all fires burning across Canada, with approximately 30 million acres of land scorched this season, equivalent to the size of South Korea or Cuba.

The town of Osoyoos and its surrounding areas in the south of the province were issued evacuation orders as a fire originating from Washington state in the US crossed into Canada. Social media captured residents sharing photos of the approaching fire. This incident marks the third firefighter death in Canada during this wildfire season, making it the most severe on record. Additionally, a helicopter pilot assisting with firefighting operations died in a crash in neighboring Alberta last week.

Canada currently has 990 active fires, with 613 of them considered out of control. The Premier of British Columbia, David Eby, expressed his condolences and praised the extraordinary sacrifices made by firefighters to protect the community. The severity of this year’s wildfire season is attributed to hot and dry weather, which is exacerbated by climate change. Canada’s extreme weather events have become more frequent and intense due to the country warming twice as fast as the global average.

As the wildfires persist, the smoke has prompted pollution alerts across North America, with the haze spreading south along the eastern coast and even reaching Europe. The situation underscores the urgent need for governments to take significant action in cutting emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change and reduce the risk of such devastating wildfires in the future.

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