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[Vanillalite]

Popular Science

You may have missed the memo (we get it, there’s been a lot going on) but the world is currently on fire as massive blazes burn in the United States, Canada, and across Europe. To give you a sense of the scale of the inferno, we’ve included maps of the wildfires, as well as images from some of the fiery scenes. Here, is the lowdown.

Here in the United States the Forest Service is reporting that 2017 is shaping up to be a worse than average fire year based on acres of federal, private and state land burned. So far, 5.6 million acres of land has burned this year, or 1.8 million acres more than the ten year average of 3.8 million acres burned by this time. Some states like Nevada are saying that 2017 is the worst fire season in 15 years, while Montana has already used up much of its firefighting budget, even as much of the state remains in drought conditions according to the US Drought Monitor. The state may have to tap into reserve and federal funding but that isn’t the only cost. Brent M. Witham, a 29-year-old firefighter from Mentone, California, was killed cutting down a tree while working on the Lolo Peak Fire.

Across the border from the United States, fires are also currently scorching Canada’s British Columbia. This is the province’s second worst fire season on record and NASA satellites have identified the conflagration from space. It’s unsurprising that the smoke is billowing over the border into nearby Seattle in Washington state which is also under a heat advisory. On Thursday, the city hit a record breaking 94 degrees at the Seattle Tacoma airport. The regular high for the region at this time of year is 77 degrees. Between the heat and the fact that the region has been, according to US Drought Monitor is unnaturally dry that wildfires are knocking on their door is unsurprising.

On the other side of the globe, if you load up the European Commission’s fire map, it looks like the end of the world, especially in Italy and Romania. So far, an area just slightly smaller than the state of Rhode Island has burned. The total is already roughly three times the normal amount of summer wildfires. Back in June, 60 people died over the course of one weekend in Portugal due to wildfires. Thirty people were killed when the fires reached roads on evacuation routes. And as the map makes clear, those fires don’t seem to be abating.

Wildfires are also plaguing Sibera in Russia, an image NASA has managed to capture on satellite footage, along with large swathes of Brazil.

According to European news reports, researchers are saying that climate change is to blame, as warmer temperatures have extended the regions fire season, potentially making weather like this increasingly the region’s new normal.
Back in the United States, some of the fires will continue to blaze until at least October, based on data in the Incident Information System.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

"The world"

 

[Drencrom]

Someone should probably tell Ukraine that they are on fire

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

But gaf armchair experts told me 40 degrees Celsius in Romania was impossible! How can it burn when there's no heat? You can't explain that!

Spoiler

on a more serious note: yeah, that seems about right
It's also only going to get worse each year. So, fun times ahead.

 

[Reverend Funk]

Ah so thats why I hurt so bad ouchie

 

[bonesmccoy]

Up here one of the stories is that over-enthusiastic anti-wildfire policies are - partially - to blame.

 

[WesternHeretic]

Seattle so smokey because of Canada burning. Oh and it's like 90+ here too so we probably gonna be in fire ourselves soon.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

"the world"

aka the US and Europe

 

[Striek]

Can't access the article because it redirects to the local, Australian version of the site (which doesn't seem to have the article). Hate this fucking shit!

 

[Vanillalite]

"the world"

aka the US and Europe

Wildfires are also plaguing Sibera in Russia, an image NASA has managed to capture on satellite footage, along with large swathes of Brazil.

Aka Asia and South America

 

[HollowCentral]

It turns out that Alicia Keys was just trying to warn us.

Maybe should've made it a better song. Then more people would've payed attention.

 

[thesoapster]

Saw a bunch going in the west at night on my flight, and there's been a haze and smoky smell in Seattle since I got here.

 

[ponpo]

"the world"

aka the US and Europe

Aka Asia and South America

"the world" aka "major parts of most continents" pfft who cares!!

 

[Animator]

"the world"

aka the US and Europe

That's your takeaway from this story?