Washington, June 16 (EFE).- The US Department of Defense will share satellite data with Canada to help fight fires that have been ravaging the North American country’s forests for weeks.
Pentagon staff will use US satellites and sensors to analyze and share „real-time data” about the fires, the White House described in a statement.
„This technology can provide early warning of fires starting in remote areas so that fires can be stopped before they spread and burn out of control,” a government spokesperson explained.
In addition, Washington will send additional supplies and agents, such as tanker planes and paratrooper firefighters, to the neighboring country.
The government described the collaboration as aiming to „do everything possible to reduce air quality degradation in American communities caused by smoke from wildfires burning in Canada.”
Last week, US cities such as New York or Washington were hit by a thick haze of smoke particles, which forced the closure of public schools and led authorities to advise citizens not to leave their homes.
According to figures released Thursday by Canadian authorities, there are currently 470 fires in the country, although rain and a drop in temperature have improved weather conditions in recent days.
In Quebec, officials indicated that rain in the province at least until Saturday will help contain the flames, but will not be enough to extinguish the 126 active fires.
Meanwhile, in the western part of the country, in the province of British Columbia, the Toney Creek fire, the second largest in the region’s history, has already burned 4,660 square kilometers of forest since May 12.
So far this year, the flames have destroyed more than 4.8 million hectares of forest, an area equivalent to Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra and Malta combined.
(c) EFE Agency