Smoke from raging Canadian wildfires hits Europe as record 18.7M acres burn

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and reached Europe as part of the worst fire season in history for the northern forests, officials say.

The smoke that left New York City covered in an orange smog earlier this month was spotted arriving in the United Kingdom on Monday, with pictures from space depicting the arrival of the haze, according to the UK Met Office.

Fortunately for the British, the powerful jet-stream winds that carried the smoke across the pond helped dissipate the strength of the smog by the time it reached the shores of the UK, meaning residents there don’t have to fear the eerie orange glow or serious air-quality drop that befell New York earlier this month.

“Whilst the smoke is high up in the atmosphere, it may make for some vivid sunrises and sunsets in the next few days,” the Met Office tweeted.

The intercontinental smoke comes as a result of the worst forest fires in Canada’s history that have wiped out nearly 18.7 million acres, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. That’s over 29,000 square miles, or roughly half the size of New York state.

The agency estimated that there were at least 27 new wildfires Monday, with the bulk burning in British Columbia.

The fires add to the estimated 53 new blazes identified Sunday, with nearly half of those originating in Alberta.

Officials noted that the trend was especially worrying given that the intense blazes began prior to the typical wildfire season, with the infernos breaking out in late April.

Canada usually sees its peak of wildfires from June to August, suggesting that more fires will continue to rage for another month.

The minister of public safety estimated that more than 20,000 people have been displaced so far because of the fires.

The Canadian government continues to issue poor air quality warnings throughout the nation, with Ottawa, its capital, reaching a high of 10 on Friday.