Heavy smoke shrouded Montreal on Sunday from still-active wildfires in Canada. According to a specialized agency, this fire makes the city the most polluted air in the world.
A smog warning issued by Environment Canada remains in effect for many areas of Quebec. There are so many fine particles, Montreal was the city with the world’s worst air quality on Sunday. According to IgaardA Swiss institute specializing in the study of atmospheric pollutants.
“It’s really like a fog, it’s smoky because of the forest fire. It’s very hard to breathe, it stings the eyes a little”, notes 18-year-old Fauve Lepage Vallee. With her friend, she observes the smoldering city from the opposite Parc Jean-Drebeau. Concerts were to be held there on Sunday afternoons. “We were supposed to go to the Picnic Electronic Festival, but it got cancelled,” laments Fau.
Smoke from forest fires has polluted the air in Montreal. [Graham Hughes – Keystone/The Canadian Press via AP]
Because of the smoke, several events had to be postponed, notably the Ironman of Mont-Tremblant, a hundred kilometers north of Montreal, and the mixed relay of the World Triathlon Championship series in the old Port of Montreal.
>> Read More: Podcast – Why is Canada Burning So Much?
Swimming pools are closed
Masks are recommended and outdoor activities are not recommended until Monday. “The Emergency Action Coordination Committee asks us to close swimming pools, paddling pools and outdoor sports facilities until at least noon Monday,” wrote Luc Rabouin, mayor of the borough of Plateau-Mont-Montreal, on Twitter. Royal in Montreal.
According to Information The Société de protection des forêts contre le feu du Québec (SOPFEU) reports that there are 81 active forest fires in Quebec, 27 of which are out of control. Dry weather and high temperatures caused several fires over the weekend. “The importance of the smoke makes the interventions of tankers and helicopters particularly difficult”, according to SOPFEU, which indicates that “significant amounts” of rain are expected in the northwest of the province on Monday or Tuesday.
>> Read More: Fires again “out of control” in Canada, prompting multiple evacuations
across the country, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC) Lists 460 active fires, including 244 that are out of control. Canada is living through an unprecedented year, with more than 7.4 million hectares burned since the beginning of January.
>> Read More: How to deal with forest fire risks in Switzerland?
afp/ebz
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”