Smoke from wildfires has enveloped Toronto and New York. We look at the role of a changing climate.
Climate and science reporter, BBC News
"We are now experiencing a new reality," said Canada's Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.How did the wildfires in Canada start? Most of the more than 2,000 fires that Canada has seen this year are thought to have been started by humans.Dead trees left to stand and poor forestry management have also previously been blamed for causing a serious fire risk.
But scientists say that climate change is making weather conditions like heat and drought that lead to wildfires more likely.Robert Scheller, professor of forestry at North Carolina State University, says: "The climate signal is very strong. We are seeing both a larger area burned, and more severe fires."
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