'Zombie Fires' burning at an alarming rate in Canada
'Zombie Fires' burning at an alarming rate in Canada
Canada's wildfire season is not over, with dozens of winter fires still burning beneath the soil.
People driving on the highway through the town of Fort Nelson, British Columbia (BC) in the winter can easily see - and smell - the clouds of white smoke flowing from the soil around them.
Sonja Leverkus, a firefighter and scientist who is local to the small north-eastern BC town, recalled driving during a snowstorm in November, but the snowfall didn't look white.
Rather, she said, it was blueish-grey because of the smoke in the air.
(Forrest Tower, a fire information officer with BC Fire) said that many of them cannot be put out manually as most of the province's firefighting force is on break for the off-season. They do not pose a risk yet, he said.
But the main concern is the fires could ignite again if BC continues to see very little snow or rain into the spring.
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Yo I didn't know that fire could smolder under snow
Me neither. I also never knew of atmospheric rivers... I guess nature still has some surprises under its sleeve and we are bound to get to know them all.
They are flameless smoulders that burn slowly below the surface, and are kept alive thanks to an organic soil called peat moss common in North America's boreal forest and to thick layers of snow that insulate them from the cold.