Intense, relentless heat waves and prolonged drought have triggered another severe wildfire season across Europe this summer, with crews battling massive blazes in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the UK and even Norway.
Similar conditions have also fueled fires in the United States and Canada. For weeks, hundreds of wildfires have ripped throughout the vast boreal forest stretching from the Yukon in the north to Newfoundland in the east. As of July 24, they've wiped out at least 3.3 million hectares (8.1 million acres — an area larger than Belgium.
As toxic smoke shrouded major cities, also in the US, President Donald Trump accused Canada on social media of "not properly maintaining their Forests" and deliberately neglecting "basic Forest Management and Debris Removal."
Smoke worsened air quality and cast an eerie light over cities in Canada and the US, including TorontoImage: Cole Burston/AFP
'No one-size-fits-all' solution
