Almost 20,000 people in western Canada were on standby on Wednesday as a wildfire swept across Mount Underwood, overlooking the city of Port Alberni. Authorities say the blaze is “out of control” and could spread further. Wildfires are also threatening other parts of the country. In Newfoundland and Labrador, parts of the capital St. John’s were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday after fires intensified. In Nova Scotia, a blaze was burning on the outskirts of Halifax, home to nearly half a million people.

As of Wednesday, more than 700 wildfires were burning across Canada, including 161 out of control. Smoke has triggered air quality alerts for tens of millions in Canada and the US, and has travelled across the Atlantic, reaching parts of western Europe. This year is already Canada’s second-worst wildfire season since records began in 1983, with 7.4 million hectares burned, an area nearly as large as Panama. The worst was in 2023, when 17.3 million hectares were destroyed. Experts say climate change is increasing the risk of fires, with higher temperatures, reduced snow, shorter winters, and earlier summers. Fires along the coast, once rare, are now being reported more often.