Drone footage of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh on fire
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Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Extreme fire risk in Montreal means 'any little spark' poses threat, Quebec fire agency warns
The greater Montreal area, including parts of the Montérégie, the Laurentians and the Lanaudière regions, are currently designated as extreme fire danger zones, according to SOPFEU. During wildfire season, the non-profit organization — responsible for wildfire prevention and suppression in Quebec — publishes a daily fire index, assessing wildfire risk. The index has five levels, ranging from low, to moderate, then high, very high and extreme. "So whenever we have a very high or extreme fire danger rating, we recommend that people abstain from the use of fires that may cause wildfires," said Mélanie Morin, a fire information officer with SOPFEU. "Right now, any little spark that could spread to the forest may cause a wildfire," she said. She recommends people find out what local rules are in place in their municipality in terms of fire prevention. In Montreal, open air fires, bonfires, outdoor fireplaces, garden fires, pyres and fireworks that use pyrotechnics aren't allowed, regardless of the fire risk, unless you've obtained prior authorization. While several Montreal boroughs and on-island suburbs, including île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Senneville and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue have put in place watering bans in a bid to maintain the quality of drinking water, the town of Rigaud, roughly 70 kilometres west of Montreal in the Montérégie, cited fire safety as a main concern. On its website, the town is urging residents to respect a ban on watering lawns to "protect our water reserves for firefighters in the event of a fire." The town says lake, river and groundwater levels are low and the forest on Mont Rigaud is "particularly vulnerable." It also pointed to advice by SOPFEU, which warns against driving motorized vehicles through brush as hot engine parts can ignite dry grass. As of Tuesday, there were at least 10 active wildfires burning in Quebec. WATCH | Calls for national wildfire administration growing amid 'alarming' season: The sweltering heat of recent days, combined with a lack of precipitation, are what's driving up the fire danger and fire activity, Morin said. "Luckily, we're in August. So while we're experiencing this a bit higher activity and these higher fire danger ratings, we're at a time of year where we usually don't have very large fires in Quebec." She explained that because trees are at full maturity with lots of green foliage, humidity in the air tends to increase, allowing to "keep fires quite small." But that doesn't mean people should drop their guard. SOPFEU's fire index is meant not only to assess wildfire risk, but also guide behaviour. "We really recommend that everyone be cautious and avoid the unnecessary use of [fire] in or near the forest," Morin said.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Smoke billows from wildfire near Halifax's Bayers Lake area
Heavy smoke could be seen Tuesday afternoon. People are being asked to avoid the Bayers Lake Business Park.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Delete old emails to save water, say officials
Old emails should be deleted to save water, officials have told the public. Emails and photos stored in the cloud are maintained by vast data centres, which consume so much energy that they require large amounts of water to keep cool. Five areas of Britain are now officially in drought, with six more in prolonged dry weather status, according to an update from the National Drought Group. The advice to delete old emails was issued by the Environment Agency as Britain faces its fourth heatwave of the summer. Temperatures are expected to soar to the mid-30s this week, which would make the UK hotter than Bali. Helen Wakeham, the Environment Agency director of water, who chairs the national drought group, said: 'The current situation is nationally significant, and we are calling on everyone to play their part and help reduce the pressure on our water environment. 'Simple, everyday choices – such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails – also really help the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife.' Other advice to the public included taking shorter showers, watering plants from the kitchen tap rather than a hosepipe, capturing and re-using cold water while waiting for hot water to come out and installing a rain butt. Hosepipe bans are still in place for all Yorkshire Water customers along with some customers of Thames Water, South East Water and Southern Water. July was the fifth-warmest on record and, despite heavy storms, still had lower than average rainfall. Many river flows and reservoirs have continued to recede compared with June and are well below where they should be for the time of year. Reservoir levels fell by 2 per cent last week and are now 67.7 per cent full on average across England, compared to 80.5 per cent, the normal figure for the first week of August, and down on the 75.6 per cent average last month, the Environment Agency said. Some reservoirs, such as the Derwent Valley group in Derbyshire, are less than half full. Will Lang, the chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'This week is starting off warmer than of late across England and Wales, with temperatures getting towards the mid-30s Celsius for some in the south. 'While conditions remain mostly settled across the South, the picture is more unsettled further north-west, with rain or showers at times. As we move into the second half of August, there are indications of high pressure building and therefore largely settled conditions overall. 'Although dry weather is more likely, rain, showers or thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.' The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber heat health alert for five regions, while a yellow warning for four other areas is also in force. An amber heat health alert means the NHS will start to see an increase in demand from otherwise healthy people. Dr Paul Coleman, a public health consultant at the agency, said: 'Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30C across central and southern parts of the country over the next few days, and generally hot weather is expected across most regions of England. 'These kinds of temperatures can result in serious health outcomes across the population – particularly in those who are vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with serious health conditions – so it is important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.' Solve the daily Crossword
