World News

32297 readers

1137 users here now

News from around the world!

Rules:

Please only post links to actual news sources, no tabloid sites, etc
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, propaganda, etc

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

165

Canada wildfire: all 20,000 Yellowknife residents evacuating (www.reuters.com)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

7 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Water bombers flew low over Yellowknife as thick smoke blanketed the capital of the vast and sparsely populated Northwest Territories. Officials say the fire, which is moving slowly, is now 15 km (10 miles) northwest of the city and could reach the outskirts by Saturday if there is no rain.

Alternate: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66526554

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

8,000 is the average annual total count, usually spread across ~3months (July, Aug, Sept). The 1,100 number quoted is currently burning today. As of August 17 the count (active and extinguished) so far this year was up to 5,765.

The size of fires is really the staggering figure with 13.75 million hectares (137,500 km² roughly the size of Arkansas or Greece) burned so far, while the average annual total burned area is usually only 2.1 million hectares.