One in four Canadians say they have been affected by wildfires this year: poll
CTV
More than one in four Canadians told a polling firm this week that they have been affected by the record-setting wildfires that have rocked much of Canada over the spring, and more than three in four say they think there are more fires now than in the past.
More than one in four Canadians told a polling firm this week that they have been affected by the record-setting wildfires that have rocked much of Canada over the spring, and more than three in four say they think there are more fires now than in the past.
The Leger poll comes just after Environment and Climate Change Canada issued an updated summer forecast that predicts the conditions that led to the spring wildfire catastrophe are not going to let up in July and August.
"Canadians have experienced a hot and dry spring," said Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Armel Castellan.
"Current seasonal forecasts suggest the anomalously hot conditions will continue across the country this summer."
He said that means the risk of a high number of wildfires, more evacuations and smoke-filled skies continues.
There have been more than 2,700 wildfires in Canada so far this year, which have burned 59,000 square kilometres of forest and other land. That's a total area more than 10 times the size of Prince Edward Island.
On Tuesday, 409 fires were still burning, 202 of them out of control.
