PARIS: Extreme wildfires are spreading across Russia and North America and shrouding swathes of the region in smoke, the EU’s climate monitor said on Tuesday as it warned of worse to come.

Copernicus said unusually hot and dry conditions were causing blazes in Siberia, Canada and Alaska and a “remarkable intensification” of planet-heating gases as swathes of forest burn. A column of smoke containing ash and harmful particles from wildfires in eastern Russia had drifted 3,000 kilometres across parts of eastern Mongolia, northeastern China and northern Japan. The “anomalously high” levels of some airborne pollutants over that region were many times globally accepted safe limits, said the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

Parts of Canada were on evacuation alert as flames ripped through western provinces, while nearly 250,0000 hectares in Alaska had been torched this year in an early start to the wildfire season. “The current wildfires are already at record levels in some regions and with the second half of the summer still to come, more extreme fire emissions are anticipated, and we will be closely monitoring how they develop and how they impact air quality,” said CAMS senior scientist Mark Parrington.

Wildfire smoke contains fine airborne particles that can lodge deep in the lungs when inhaled and are harmful to human health. Mostly caused by lightning strikes, wildfires are part of the natural cycle of boreal forests, which circle the far northern hemisphere and are dense, remote and difficult to access.

North Macedonia wildfires

North Macedonia turned to air support from abroad on Tuesday, as firefighters struggled to contain a string of blazes across the country amid a blistering heatwave.

North Macedonia battles wildfires with aid from abroad

Newly arrived planes and helicopters from Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkiye were being deployed by emergency responders to help combat the fires, according to a statement by the European Commission.

“The EU stands united in its support. Our rapid response through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism is crucial in aiding local efforts against these devastating wildfires,” said EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic in a statement. Hundreds of hectares of forest have been burnt in the fires scattered across North Macedonia during the past week.

Authorities have identified 12 active wildfires burning in the country as of Tuesday morning. The biggest fire was located near the central town of Negotino, while another blaze had inched closer to the southern city of Bitola.

During an emergency government session over the weekend, lawmakers declared a crisis situation — falling short of calling for a state of emergency — “due to increased occurrence of wildfires”.

A state of crises is proclaimed when the public and property face serious risks or dangers, which demands an injection of significant government resources.

‘Zombie fires’

So-called “zombie fires” can smoulder beneath the surface during winter months, surviving on carbon-rich fuels before reigniting at the onset of spring or summer.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024