Megafires in Canada continue to intensify: more than 10 million hectares have already burned this year, which is much more than ever before in the country, surpassing the most pessimistic forecasts of scientists, according to AFP.

According to national data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC), the numbers are set to get even worse: As of Saturday, there were 906 active fires across the country, 570 of which were out of control.

And the authorities are obliged to let them mostly burn. The scale of the fires, their number and the difficulty of access exceeded the capabilities of Canadian and international firefighters present in large numbers.

The biggest numbers: “2023 will definitely be a landmark year”

“This year’s numbers are worse than our worst-case scenarios,” Ian Boulanger, a researcher at Natural Resources Canada, told AFP.

“What is completely crazy is that there has been no relaxation since the beginning of May. Everything is set for the situation to worsen,” sums up the forest firefighter. In his opinion, “2023 will definitely be a significant year.”

In total, the forests burned in just six and a half months represent an area almost the size of Portugal or equivalent to the area of ​​Iceland. The previous all-time record in this regard dates back to 1989, when 7.3 million hectares were burned, according to the CIFFC.

Since January, there have been 4,088 fires in the country, including numerous fires covering hundreds of thousands of hectares.

On Thursday, a 19-year-old firefighter lost his life fighting a fire in the west of the country. More than 150,000 people had to be resettled.

Greenhouse gases are released

Mostly the boreal forest becomes ash, far from populated areas. But with serious consequences for the environment.

This ring of green surrounding the Arctic – of course in Canada, but also in Alaska, Siberia and Northern Europe – is vital for the future of the planet.

Another feature of this northern forest is that it emits 10-20 times more carbon per unit area burned than other ecosystems. By releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, these fires, in turn, contribute to global warming – a vicious cycle.