Commentary, nature, Photography

A Sky Wish

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We have smoky skies right now because of another fire, but it’s nothing like the smoke, embers, and fires many others in this country are presently facing: evacuations, air rescues and lifts, loss of homes and possessions, appalling environmental damage … all I can say in the positive is that at least no one has been hurt.

Right now, Canada is facing its worse fire season in recorded history. We’re the second-largest country in the world (after Russia), almost half of that expanse is forest, and a lot of it is presently on fire. So far, an area the size of Portugal has already burned.

There are so many fires that they have to be triaged; in other words, the most threatening to human life and property get the most attention. While many fire fighters from around the world have selflessly come to help, there aren’t enough in the world to deal with all these fires; a sad and wrenching fact.

I hope the many fires we are experiencing throughout the country are soon extinguished, especially in the Northwest Territories where the damage has been extreme and the threat is still very present. Yellowknife, the capital, is now being evacuated.

Right now we need a lot of this …

followed by a lot of this …

Wish us luck. 🍀

36 thoughts on “A Sky Wish”

  1. So sad. Fires, nasty fires, seem to be another of the tragedies of climate damage. Canada, Hawaii, France, Greece, etc are all having some kind of “worst in history” fire moments. Praying for rain for you, and cooler weather.

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    1. Thank you very much, Terry. Agreed – it has been a terrible summer in many places and the product of climate damage. I have been thinking about all the smoke that has been billowing (and continues to billow) into the air while the earth’s very lungs (our forests) carry on burning. The damage we’re experiencing now is only the tip of the iceberg, I fear.

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        1. Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness, Terry. So far we’re fine; there’s a lot of smoke because we’re sandwiched between two large fires (one to the south and one to the north in West Kelowna), but we’re in a reasonably safe location – not up in the mountains above the city.

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  2. As long as the rain comes without lightning, it will help. We are expecting a hot day today followed by severe thunder storms. Victoria and Vancouver are baking under another heat dome. We need rain, calm winds and cooler temps and eventually deep winter snow and cold to help quell the fires. Like you, Lynette, my fingers and toes are crossed. Have a good Thursday. Allan

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    1. Thanks Allan. We are experiencing the same heat dome together with smoke from the Keremeos fire to the south of us (hikers were air rescued out of the park there yesterday). Our high yesterday was 36° and we couldn’t see more than about 20 metres. We’re expecting a cold front with rain showers today, but as you point out, there might be lightening and high winds. People are being warned to stay off the Coquihalla Connector and other roads at higher elevations.
      I agree that we need rain, cooler temperatures and yes, a lot of snow this winter. The amount of damage already done to the atmosphere in the last three months though …

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  3. “… an area the size of Portugal has already burned.”

    I didn’t realize that and find it astounding. Hope the rain comes in a reasonable way, not too much, not too little.

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    1. I was also shocked to learn that it’s that much, just since May. We’re in a situation now where we not only need a lot of (preferably slow) rain as soon as possible, but precipitation throughout the winter, too. I never thought I would be wishing for lots of snow, but here I am.

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  5. I was disgusted to hear in the news that many wildfires have been caused by arson. I wondered when I heard that, whether the firebug even thought about all the little animals he/she was killing and people he/she was putting out of their homes.

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    1. Agreed, Anneli. Recently a couple were caught starting a fire on a crackling dry hill in Summerland. They started walking away from it toward their car but the police cut them off as someone saw and phoned it in right away. I would call that behaviour sociopathic, so there’s no thinking about anyone or anything other than themselves.

      I don’t know how many of these fires have been triggered by irresponsible human behaviour or others like the couple in Summerland, but there’s definitely some. I understand that most have been caused by lightning (this has been tracked by satellite photos) though, especially in NWT.

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  6. I’d be happy to share some of Vermont’s rain – a lot of it is the slow and steady rain you need, but when it goes on for months and the ground is saturated, when it does rain hard, flooding ensues. Too bad the changing climate is bringing extremes, and we can’t average it out!

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    1. I wish you could. Eastern Canada first had fires and then more lately, floods. Trees weakened by drought have been pulling out of the water-logged ground. It’s crazy, but these extremes are what climatologists have been predicting for a long time now.

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  7. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s been like for the people who have had to evacuate because of the wildfires. Hopefully rain is on the forecast. We’re actually heading to Edmonton next Friday for a road trip to Whitehorse and have been closely monitoring road and smoke conditions.

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    1. I can’t either. I moved from the Northwest Territories in May (I’m working remotely until I finish up at the end of October) and have fortunately not had to experience this.
      A friend works in Whitehorse; we were talking today. So far, everything is fine there. They do have fires and one very northern community was evacuated (Old Crow) a week ago, but that fire is apparently “held” at this time. You’re right to be cautious as the fire that is still threatening Hay River in NWT moved extremely fast.

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      1. Good to know. But agreed, it’s crazy how quickly a fire can spread and get out of control. I was just reading on the news this morning about how there are now evacuations happening in West Kelowna because of the wildfires.

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        1. Yes, that one came out of nowhere as well, whipped up by gusting winds during the night. The highway through Kelowna is now closed and flights have been diverted from the airport. Right now we’re okay in Penticton, but there are major fires to the north and south of us. Rather unsettling.

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          2. Linda, it really is. It’s a bit better today but yesterday it was almost apocalyptic. So dark and smoky; even our fire alarm went off because smoke was getting inside. Fires and floods are the extremes that have been predicted by climate scientists for a long time. Thanks for your good wishes. Cheers.

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  11. I read this as the situation grows steadily worse. We hang on news bulletins now the way we did when COVID first began to rage through our lives, following the stats and the terrible cost they document. This time human cost just a small part of it all.

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    1. I agree Penny. I found myself doing the same thing today, watching with a covid-like intensity. I’m so glad that no one has been lost and injuries have been minimized, but there are such careless people out there making this worse. Fire-watching tourists clogging the roads, people who won’t evacuate and then have to be rescued, drones interfering with aerial fire suppression. How are we going to take this messaging from nature to develop some respect for the earth if we can’t get basic cooperation from people who are wreathed in smoke? The earth’s lungs are burning and spewing ash and embers and we’re basically just fiddling …

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