Forest fires rage in Quebec

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Quebec, where about 160,000 hectares have burned since the start of the year.

“An unusually intense start to Canada’s wildfire season filled skies with smoke in May 2023. Then, at the beginning of June, scores of new fires raged in the central Canadian province of Quebec, some of which were ignited by lightning,” says NASA.

“The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this view of smoke billowing from the fires on June 3. Shortly after the fires started, about 5,000 residents were ordered to evacuate near the city of Sept-Îles in the province’s east.” 

“As the fires grew, evacuations were extended to an additional 9,000 people in surrounding communities and in western Quebec’s Val-d’Or and Normétal municipalities. As of June 5, more than 150 wildfires were active in Quebec.”

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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