Giant wildfires are ravaging Canada and the US: Where are the biggest fires? And how did the fire start?

Only the historic Canadian town of Jasper was largely destroyed by wildfires. Elsewhere, people have lost their homes or villages have been partially destroyed. The ‘Park Fire’ forest fire has already burnt an area of ​​1,416 square kilometres. It covers an area 8 times larger than the Brussels Capital Region or almost half the area of ​​West Flanders.

Large natural reserves have been completely reduced to ashes. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, tells the AP that those areas won’t recover in the same way. “Plants are coming back, but in much warmer climates. New, invasive species are also growing in some places.” These are more vulnerable to drought, which in turn creates wildfire risks.

Not only the flora but also the fauna in the areas affected by the forest fires have suffered a lot. When a huge forest fire broke out in Australia, many koalas and other wild animals were unable to escape the flames.

In Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society fears caribou in Jasper National Park and North American reindeer. A total of 2 herds are said to remain, each containing several dozen caribou. However, due to large forest fires, there are few areas where animals can escape.

Forest fires have long-lasting effects on animal populations. Animals lose their habitat and then have no place to sleep safely. They have to find new shelters in areas inhabited by other animals, which can lead to conflicts with other animals.