Giant wildfires ravage Canada, US: Where are the biggest fires? How did the fires start?

The wildfires have not only largely destroyed the historic Canadian town of Jasper. Elsewhere, people have lost their homes or had their villages partially destroyed. The Park Fire has already burned an area of ​​1,416 square kilometres. That’s an area more than eight times larger than the Brussels-Capital Region, or nearly half the size of West Flanders.

Entirely large nature reserves have been reduced to ash. Climate scientist Daniel Swain of the University of California, Berkeley, also told the Associated Press that those areas won’t recover in the same way. “The plants are coming back, but in a warmer climate. And new invasive species are growing in some places.” Those areas could be more vulnerable to drought, creating a risk of wildfires again.

Not only plants, but also animals in the affected areas are having a hard time due to the bushfires. When the major bushfires broke out in Australia, many koalas and other wildlife were unable to escape the fire.

In Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association is concerned about the caribou, North America’s reindeer, in Jasper National Park. There are said to be two herds left, each with dozens of caribou. However, due to major wildfires, there are few areas where the animals can escape.

Wildfires also have long-term consequences for animal populations. Animals lose their habitat, leaving them without a safe place to hibernate later. They will have to find new shelters in areas where other animals live, which can lead to encounters with other animals.