Canada blames US wildfires for choking skies with dangerous smoke

Authorities in the Canadian province of British Columbia have issued an air quality warning over smoke from wildfires in the northwestern United States after US President Donald Trump accused Canada of mishandling forest fires.

Officials in British Columbia said smoke from American wildfires was crossing the border and moving northward, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Guardian.

“Much of this smoke is originating from fires south of the Canada-US border in Washington and Oregon,” the British Columbia Wildfire Service stated.

According to the US Northwest Interagency Coordination Centre, which oversees wildfire response in Washington and Oregon, 22 large fires are currently burning across the two states.

Air quality advisories have been issued in two areas of British Columbia — Kootenay Lake and Cranbrook — located along the US border.

Wildfires continue to spread across the United States and Canada. According to the Canadian government, 843 active wildfires were burning across the country as of July 20. Of these, 181 were classified as “out of control,” meaning the fires were expanding and not responding to firefighting efforts.

Another 532 fires were also listed as “out of control,” although suppression measures had not yet been initiated.

By Jeyhun Aghazada