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Canada’s capacity to prevent wildfires has been shrinking for decades because of budget cuts, a loss of some of the country’s forest service staff, and onerous rules for fire prevention, turning some of its forests into a tinderbox. As residents braced for what could be the worst wildfire season on record, and one that is far from over, the air slowly cleared over the Northeastern United States on Friday, but hundreds of wildfires continued to burn across Canada. Thanks to some rain and cloud cover near wildfire areas, with scattered rains expected in parts of southern Ontario on Sunday, Steven Flisfeder, a warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, predicted that the weekend could bring better air quality in Toronto, the country’s largest city. “That’s going to help flush out the contaminants from the air a little bit,” he said. More than 1,100 firefighters from around the world have been dispatched across Canada to help combat the country’s raging fire season, officials said, including groups from France, Chile, Costa Rica, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Persons: Steven Flisfeder, “ That’s Organizations: Northeastern Locations: Northeastern United States, Canada, Ontario, Toronto, France, Chile, Costa Rica, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
BEIJING, June 9 (Reuters) - Non-stop heavy rains lashed parts of southwest China on Friday, triggering floods in cities, engulfing roads and partially submerging buildings. A particularly harsh first bout of summer rains known locally as "dragon boat water" saw the city of Beihai in Guangxi log 453 millimetres on Thursday. Rain is forecast to continue in southern China over the coming days while the northeast is also expected to be hit by sudden thunderstorms, the weather bureau reported. China, prone to floods, is increasingly warning of more extreme weather due to climate change. The central province of Henan, the granary of China, was recently struck by heavy rainfall that caused crops to sprout or be hit by blight, triggering concerns about food security.
Persons: Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: China Meteorological Administration, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beihai, Guangxi, Yulin, Henan
"We can state for sure that this offensive has begun," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Sochi. "Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector." Ukrainian military analyst Oleksander Musiyenko, interviewed on Ukrainian NV Radio, said Ukraine was making gains but dismissed Russian reports of a major counter-offensive in south-central Zaporizhzhia region. The counteroffensive is ultimately expected to involve thousands of Ukrainian troops trained and equipped by the West. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said only that battles were continuing for Velyka Novosilka and Russian troops were mounting "active defence" at Orikhiv.
Persons: Putin, Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Voldymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksander Musiyenko, Musiyenko, Ben Barry, They've, Barry, Hanna Maliar, Velyka Novosilka, Prystan, Oksana, Ukraine Denise Brown, Mark Trevelyan, Olena Harmash, Ron Popeski, Peter Graff, Diane Craft, Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie, Andrew Heavens, Philippa Fletcher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Press, State Emergency Service of, Ukrainian NV, West, United, Kyiv, International Institute for Strategic Studies, U.S, Bradley, Deputy, Reuters, United Nations, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Zviahel, Zhytomyr region, State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Zhytomyr ., Russia, Ukrainian, KYIV, Moscow, Kyiv, U.S, Sochi, United States, Orikhiv, Crimea, Tokmak, Europe, Dnipro, Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk
June 8 (Reuters) - Forest fires continued to burn across Canada on Thursday as the country endured its worst-ever start to wildfire season, forcing thousands of people from their homes and sending a smoky haze billowing across U.S. cities. Hundreds of U.S. firefighters arrived in Canada to help and more were on their way. "These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said on Twitter. Smoke-forecasting website BlueSky Canada showed wildfire smoke spreading across much of the country on Thursday. Reporting by Nia Williams in British Columbia; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Bill Blair, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Rob Schweitzer, Nia Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Twitter, BC, Thomson Locations: Canada, U.S, Quebec, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Pacific, British Columbia, Ottawa, Toronto, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, United States, New York
A view from the top of the Rockefeller Center, as haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada hang over the Manhattan skyline, in New York City, New York, June 7, 2023. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday assured Americans the government was aiding Canada in fighting the wildfires that have cloaked the East Coast and Midwest in unhealthy levels of smoke and haze. In a statement, Trudeau thanked Biden for the aid, adding that the countries must "work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change." There were 437 active wildfires across Canada early Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. "It's very important that affected communities listen to the guidance of their state and local officials from this point forward," Biden said.
Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Bill Blair Organizations: Rockefeller Center, WASHINGTON, Canadian, National Interagency Fire Center, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Emergency, Major League Baseball, White House Locations: Canada, Manhattan, New York City , New York, Coast, Midwest, U.S, United States, Quebec
REUTERS/Maye-E WongOTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled hundreds of forest blazes on Wednesday as Canada's worst-ever early season wildfires prompted the evacuation of thousands and a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. There are fires in nearly all of Canada's provinces and territories, with the eastern province of Quebec among the worst affected. The province, Canada's second-most populous, has suffered four times its 10-year average of wildfires so far this year. In neighboring Ontario province, Canada's most populous, deteriorating air quality has been forecast this week in cities including Ottawa and Toronto due to smoke plumes. Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year flames have mushroomed rapidly in the country's east.
Persons: Wong OTTAWA, Francois Legault, Legault, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Firefighters, Residents, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Canada, New York City , New York, U.S, Quebec, Canada's, New York, New Brunswick, France, United States, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Chibougamau, Ontario, Ottawa, Toronto
REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires blazed across Canada on Wednesday, threatening critical infrastructure, forcing evacuations and sending a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. Quebec Premier Francois Legault earlier said the province was able to fight 40 fires at the same time. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden by phone on Wednesday to thank him for "critical support" in tackling the blazes. These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said in a statement on Twitter. We will be facing more and more extreme weather events that will cost us a lot more," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the briefing.
Persons: Blair Gable OTTAWA, Bill Blair, Blair, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Trudeau, Legault, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Nia Williams, Deepa Babington, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Quebec Premier, Canadian, U.S, Twitter, Residents, Thomson Locations: Centennial, Township, Greater Madawaska , Ontario, Canada, Quebec, U.S, New Brunswick, France, United States, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Chibougamau, Ontario, Canada's, Ottawa, Toronto, British Columbia
The report, titled Climate Damage Caused by Russia’s War in Ukraine, follows on from a first interim assessment presented at the UN COP27 climate conference in November 2022. Nearly 22 million metric tons of planet-heating pollution came from warfare, almost 20% of the total emissions attributable to the conflict, the report found. “We probably will only be able to really get a more accurate estimate once the war is over,” de Klerk said. “The biggest chunk of the emissions are still in the future reconstruction of Ukraine,” de Klerk said. The report authors even calculated the extra planet-warming pollution created by airlines rerouting flights to avoid Russian and Ukrainian airspace.
Persons: , ” Lennard, Klerk, It’s, ” de Klerk, Leah Millis, de Klerk, James Appathurai, , Rachel Kyte Organizations: CNN, UN, Firefighters, Reuters, Aris Mssinis, Getty, Global, Fletcher School, Tufts University, Locations: Ukraine, Belgium, Russia, Nemyshlianski, Kharkiv region, Russian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, AFP, Europe, Ukrainian
Carbon accounting will be in focus at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai this year as countries assess progress against climate goals agreed in Paris in 2015, and de Klerk said it was crucial military emissions were included. "Emissions of conflicts and military emissions are often overlooked," he told Reuters. The report - Climate Damage Caused By Russia's War in Ukraine - was funded by the European Climate Foundation and the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative in Ukraine. HARD TO DECIPHERUkraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection said it was important to initiate discussions about the impact of conflicts on the climate. Government reporting of military and conflict emissions to the United Nations is notoriously hard to decipher.
Persons: Alexander Ermochenko LONDON, Lennard, Klerk, it's, de Klerk, James Appathurai, of Environmental Protection, Bremer, Sarah McFarlane, Valerie Volcovici, Richard Valdmanis, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, European Climate Foundation, Environmental, Initiative, Environment Observatory, of Environmental, United Nations, Brown University, International Institute for Applied Systems, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Shakhtarsk, Donetsk, Russian, Bonn, Belgium, Europe, Hungary, Dubai, Paris, U.S, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Britain
Canada on track for its worst-ever wildfire season
  + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
[1/3] Smoke billows upwards from a planned ignition by firefighters tackling the Donnie Creek Complex wildfire south of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada June 3, 2023. OTTAWA, June 5 (Reuters) - Canada is on track for its worst-ever year of wildfire destruction as warm and dry conditions are forecast to persist through to the end of the summer after an unprecedented start to the fire season, officials said on Monday. "The rate of increase of area burned is also high ... if this rate continues, we could hit record levels for area burned this year," he said. "Over the last 20 years, we have never seen such a large area burned so early in the season," said Yan Boulanger, a researcher with Natural Resources Canada. "Partially because of climate change, we're seeing trends toward increasing burned area throughout Canada."
Persons: Michael Norton, Norton, Yan Boulanger, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Ismail Shakil, Alistair Bell Organizations: Wildfire Service, REUTERS, Natural Resources, Flames, Wallbridge Mining Company, Thomson Locations: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, OTTAWA, Quebec, Atlantic, of Nova Scotia, Natural Resources Canada, Alberta, United States, Ottawa
[1/2] Smoke from the Tantallon wildfire rises over houses in nearby Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023. Nova Scotia is battling two large fires that are threatening communities on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Halifax. The armed forces would provide equipment and personnel to relieve firefighters "who have been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia", Blair said. The federal government sent the military to Alberta last month to help battle blazes there and Canada is also getting help from other countries. Some 800 U.S. firefighters have come to battle the blazes, mostly in Alberta, with another 100 are scheduled to arrive in Nova Scotia over coming days, officials said.
Persons: Eric Martyn, Bill Blair, Blair, Justin Trudeau, Steve Scherer, Anirudh Saligrama, Sharon Singleton, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, OTTAWA, CBC News, CBC, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bedford , Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Alberta, Quebec, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Summary Ukraine says Russia has stepped up air attacksOne person wounded in central district - mayorAll inbound missiles shot down - city officialsKYIV, May 29 (Reuters) - Explosions rang out across Kyiv on Monday as Russia launched its 16th air attack on the Ukrainian capital this month, hours after unleashing dozens of missiles and drones overnight. All the Russian missiles were shot down, but one person in the central Podil district was taken to hospital, authorities said. Ukraine shot down 11 cruise and ballistic missiles fired in the second of Monday's attacks on Kyiv, said Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Firefighters work at a site of a private building damaged during a massive Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine May 29, 2023. Russia has increased the frequency of air attacks as Ukraine prepares to launch a counteroffensive.
A search and rescue effort was winding down in Iowa on Monday after the partial collapse of a six-story apartment building the day before, officials said. The Davenport Police Department said its officers and firefighters responded on Sunday at about 5 p.m. to a report of the collapse at 324 Main Street in Davenport, a city along the Mississippi River in the eastern part of the state. Overnight, more than a dozen people were escorted out of the building and eight were rescued, Chief Michael Carlsten, of the Davenport Fire Department, said at a news conference on Monday. One man was taken to the hospital, but Chief Carlsten did not know the man’s condition. There was no information about other injuries.
[1/3] Smoke from the Tantallon wildfire rises over houses in nearby Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Eric MartynHALIFAX, May 29 (Reuters) - A wildfire in the eastern Canadian city of Halifax led to mandatory evacuation orders for thousands of homes, with officials saying residents are not allowed to return until advised by municipal authorities. These suburban communities are home to many of the city's workers and are situated about 15 miles from Halifax. The wildfire, aided by strong winds and tinder-dry woods, damaged dozens of homes and also hampered rescue services. But most of those fires have since been brought under control, helping oil and gas production to resume.
Passengers on a P&O cruise ship were evacuated from their cabins after a fire broke out on board. Passengers on board a P&O cruise ship were evacuated from their cabins after a fire was detected on a balcony at 3.30 a.m., news.com.au reported. Emma Llewllyn told 9News: "It certainly goes through your mind: 'Are we going to be getting on lifeboats? Passengers were awoken by an alarm and told to get their life jackets and evacuate their cabins while firefighters tackled the flames, 9News reported. "This fire activated our emergency response procedures including a full muster of guests and crew and we thank everyone on board for their co-operation," a P&O spokesperson told Insider.
Ron DeSantis officially launched his presidential campaign Wednesday, putting his blend of pro-business conservativism and culture-war populism to the test at the national level. In the most recent legislative session, DeSantis signed a bill that stopped union dues from being automatically deducted from public employees' paychecks. Ron DeSantis, a critic of environmentally sensitive investing, didn't succeed in protecting his constituents from the ravages of Hurricane Ian, which may have been intensified by global warming. DeSantis signed a bill in early May barring state and local officials from making ESG-based investment decisions. The Disney sagaApparel promoting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sit on a table before a book tour event at the North Charleston Coliseum on April 19, 2023 in North Charleston, South Carolina.
A bill to overturn Biden's student-debt relief passed the House by a vote of 218-203. Along with blocking broad debt relief, the bill would also end the payment pause. The bill would overturn President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers, along with immediately ending the ongoing student-loan payment pause, throwing borrowers back into repayment earlier than expected. Pierce said that means the bill will "unwind debt relief already delivered to hundreds of thousands of public service workers across the country. This will happen because the seventh and eighth payment pauses also give credit towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness for each paused month covered by these executive actions,."
A federal contractor paid firefighters as little as $2.85/hour, according to the Department of Labor. Since 2010, the Oregon-based company KL Farms/Fire LLC has been awarded 72 federal contracts worth more than $2.6 million, according to government records. On average, per federal investigators, these workers put in an average of 70 hours a week fighting blazes in 2020 and 2021. In total, the Department of Labor said it recovered just over $152,000 in unpaid overtime and fringe benefits for 57 firefighters and truck drivers, with one worker receiving over $14,700. Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.comMay 25, 2023: This story was updated to include comment from KL Farms/Fire LLC.
An Air Force official told Insider that the pause was "precautionary," and was lifted on May 18 by Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. The B-2 Spirit approaches the boom of a McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey KC-10A Extender during a Capstone orientation flight. Scott H. SpitzerThis incident marked the second time in 15 months that there was an emergency involving the B-2 at Whiteman Air Force Base. "We successfully accomplished all necessary actions to safely return to full flight operations with the B-2 fleet. Whiteman Air Force Base is the country's only operational base for the B-2, which was first unveiled in 1988.
“The water then slides away, destroying everything.”What also slid away were orchards, vineyards and crops ready to harvest. A tractor goes off road after flooding outside Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Emilia Romagna is one of the richest regions in Italy. Firefighters come to rescue people and recover their belongings after flooding hit the Fornace Zarattini district of Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy on May 20. Extreme weather such as what has happened this month in Emilia Romagna is perplexing even to experts.
Alberta wildfire fighters hope rain, cooling bring relief
  + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
[1/3] Smoke rises from the Stoddart Creek wildfire near Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada May 13, 2023. Amid hot, dry conditions, forecasters were tracking a front likely to move into the province on Sunday that should bring much-needed relief, including humidity and even rain, Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire, said at a Saturday briefing. "That will help us more than a short burst that would bring lightning and could spark a new wildfire." Alberta is enduring energy production cuts, home evacuations and poor air quality after an intense start to the wildfire season. This year, Alberta Wildfire responded to 496 wildfires burning more than 842,000 hectares, compared with just 459 hectares in 2022.
But the enforcement has been chaotic, sporadic and, in the words of a former top Mexican official, “inefficient.”Tonatiuh Guillén was commissioner of Mexico’s National Migration Institute until 2019. Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/NurPhoto/AP“Mexico became a control territory, [a place of] a severe migration policy, detentions, deterrence, and expulsions. ‘This is not about doing the United States’ dirty work’Mexican President Obrador denies Mexico is doing the US’s bidding when it comes to migration. Two months later, another 47 migrants were found alive crammed inside a truck in Matehuala (San Luis Potosí state), Mexico. Viangly, a Venezuelan migrant, reacts outside an ambulance while firefighters remove injured migrants, mostly Venezuelans, from a National Migration Institute building during a fire in Ciudad Juarez on March 27, 2023.
[1/2] A Sky crane helicopter dumps water on the Eagle Wildfire Complex near Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada May 19, 2023. Record-high temperatures and lack of rain this year have led to widespread fires burning nearly 830,000 hectares (2 million acres) of land in Alberta, about 10 times the size of the province's largest city, Calgary, according to Alberta Wildfire. "We will all be on high alert this weekend," Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire, said on Friday. The wildfires have tested Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's disaster management skills ahead of a provincial election on May 29. Some 275 houses, businesses and other properties had been damaged, while more than 10,000 people remained evacuated by Friday, according to Alberta government officials.
MADRID, May 19 (Reuters) - Emergency crews evacuated around 600 villagers in western Spain overnight as a wildfire blamed on arsonists ravaged up to 8,000 hectares (19,800 acres) near the border with Portugal, officials said. "The are very strong gusts of wind ... that make efforts to extinguish it difficult," Military Emergency Unit commander David Barona told state TV channel 24H. "It's a very large attack on vegetation and the area," the head of Extremadura emergency services Nieves Villar told reporters, referring to the suspicions of arson. An unusually dry winter across parts of southern Europe coming after three years of below-average rainfall in Spain have raised the risk of wildfires. A total of 493 fires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares in Spain last year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
The Kremlin claimed it had hit one of the United States’ prestigious Patriot missile defense systems. The Kremlin claimed it had hit a US Patriot missile defense system. The White House rebuffed Moscow's claims that the attack hit a Patriot missile defense system. Ankara on the diplomatic fenceXi isn’t the only leader with skin in the Ukraine war that Putin appears to be trying to sway his way right now. There is no guarantee either that Xi cares about Putin’s missile salvo targeting Kyiv’s Patriot missile batteries either, but he will have been paying attention.
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