The wildfires that swept through Quebec, Canada, from May to July, were rendered at least twice as probable by climate change, as stated by scientists on Tuesday. The analysis, conducted by the World Weather Attribution group, a global team of researchers investigating climate change’s influence on extreme weather events, revealed that the burning of fossil fuels, a key driver of climate change, also amplified the intensity of the fires by up to 50 percent.
The heightened flammability of available wildfire fuel due to climate change results in a scenario where a mere spark, irrespective of its origin, can swiftly transform into a raging inferno.
Scientists analyzed weather data encompassing factors such as temperature, wind speed, humidity, and precipitation. They employed computer models to evaluate how climate change had modified fire-friendly weather conditions this year, juxtaposing them with preindustrial climate conditions.
The Quebec fires represent only a fraction of what is now Canada’s most severe wildfire season on record.
With an area of over 14 million hectares (34.6 million acres) burnt this year, equating to about 4% of Canada’s total forested land—an over sixfold increase from the four-decade average of 2.3 million hectares (5.8 million acres)—as reported by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
In British Columbia, the threat of wildfires persists, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency, accompanied by the federal government’s decision to deploy the military to aid in controlling the raging fires.
Last week, the entirety of Yellowknife, a city situated in the sparsely populated Northwest Territories, was evacuated as fires encroached upon this sub-Arctic capital.