More than 450 fires are still active in Canada, almost half of them out of control. More than 5 million hectares have already burned. Meteorologists are watching for the slightest sign, but the improvement does not seem to be for now.
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For several weeks, Waldir Da Cruz, chief meteorologist at Radio-Canada, has been scrutinizing behind his screens the arrival of precipitation in the fire zones, thanks to simulations of cloud cover for the next few days. Canada is currently being ravaged by huge forest fires. More than 5 million hectares have already burned and 450 fires, sometimes out of control, are still ongoing: “The fires are mainly concentrated in two areas. In terms of precipitation, we only expect two millimeters, it’s too little”says the specialist.
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The situation will remain difficult for many months, because even with heavy rains over a long period, several fires could persist.“With the rains, the spread in places can stop, but given the immense size of the fires, we can go until October, especially in the most remote regions”, says Yan Boulanger, researcher in forest ecology at the Department of Natural Resources Canada.
The authorities reiterated this weekend: “The season is just beginning“. Each province is mobilizing its resources to fight the fires with the support of more than 5,000 international firefighters who have come to lend a hand in Canada.