This text is taken from the Courrier de la Planète. Click here to subscribe.
Wildfires may have subsided in recent days south of 51e parallel to Quebec, but they continue to rage in the northern half of the boreal forest. Fires of historic size have been burning for weeks near the reservoirs of the La Grande hydroelectric complex. Here are four photos taken in this region, obtained from the Sentinel satellites of the European Union’s Copernicus program. The natural colors are enhanced by superimposing the infrared radiation emanating from the flames.
1
June 20 | Behind this front of flames, we see a brownish forest, very dark. The branches of the trees found there are charred. Peter Markuse Copernicus Sentinel
2
June 22 | This very thick smoke, pushed by the westerly winds, would cross the Atlantic Ocean the following week, and then smoke Europe. Peter Markuse Copernicus Sentinel
3
June 25 | Within the affected regions, some “pockets” of forest remain intact. The exact balance of the territories affected will be established after the end of the season. Peter Markuse Copernicus Sentinel
4
June 28 | Powerful winds are pushing the fires forward at breakneck speed. For a few days, the La Grande fire spread over several tens of kilometers daily. Peter Markuse Copernicus Sentinel
To see in video