Smoke from the ongoing wildfires in Canada has now reached Europe. The European climate service Copernicus predicts that more smoke will drift towards Europe in the coming days.
Satellite images from Copernicus show an increased concentration of aerosols above Europe and the Netherlands. These are small particles released during wildfires that remain suspended in the air. Together with other harmful gases, they contribute to air pollution.
The smoke does not affect ground-level air quality as it is located in higher atmospheric layers, several kilometers above the ground. However, the smoke is visible as a haze in the sky and causes red and orange sunsets. In parts of the Netherlands, the sky appeared milky instead of blue on Sunday.
In the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, wildfires have been raging for five days. One fire in Saskatchewan is larger than the province of South Holland. The fires have forced over 25,000 residents to evacuate, and two provinces have declared a state of emergency.
The Canadian Forest Fire Centre reports more than 200 active wildfires, half of which are out of control. The smoke has also reached US states like Maine, worsening air quality in both Canada and the US.
Canada's wildfire season typically starts in spring, but it has been beginning earlier and becoming more intense over the past 20 years. In 2023, Canada experienced its worst season ever, with 18.5 million hectares burned. Extreme temperatures above 30°C and strong winds have exacerbated the current fires.
