Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Wildfires - in the US and in Canada

I currently live in Michigan and so I have heard a significant amount of news about the smoke from the Canadian fires - and have been able to see the smoke outside my windows for many days. I'm happy to say yesterday and today the smoke has reduced to nearly nothing! This is wonderful news.

But, I have to stand up and speak up - in this case, I have to write about the appalling response to the smoke and fires from some elected officials in Michigan and throughout the country. Threatening our neighbors, Canada, with tariffs or anything else while they are dealing with these horrible fires is a despicable thing to do. We should be rushing to ask how we can help - not condemning our dear neighbors - especially when in this country we have wildfires which send smoke into Canada.

And I have to share some facts - because the truth does matter - at least it should . . .

Eight years ago on this very day, in 2018 the Carr fire broke out in Shasta County California - outside of Redding. I know about this fire, because my husband's sister was nearly trapped by the Carr fire. For hours we did not know if she was able to escape the flames. She did, but for nearly a month and a half she did not know if her home had been burned to the ground, or not. Thank God, her home survived. Sadly, so many others lost their homes. 

The Carr Fire is the ninth-most destructive wildfire in California history. It caused evacuations of over 36,000 people in the communities of French Gulch (where my sister-in-law lived), several other towns/cities, including the City of Redding, and caused closures of portions of Highway 299. The fire directly impacted the water sources of Keswick Dam and Shasta Dam and even jumped the Sacramento River, destroying homes and impacting air quality throughout Northern California and the Central Valley down to Bakersfield, and up to Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. Smoke reached as far north as Seattle, Washington, Boise, Idaho, and yes, into Canada. I can tell you, Canada did NOT threaten the US in any way when smoke from the Carr fire filled their skies. No. They instead were good neighbors and sent help to fight the fire - which is what they always do.

You will find my full post about Wildfires in the US and in Canada at this link.