"But clouds bellied out in the sultry heat, the sky cracked open with a crimson gash, spewed flame-and the ancient forest began to smoke. By morning there was a mass of booming, fiery tongues, a hissing, crashing, howling all around, half the sky black with smoke, and the bloodied sun just barely visible."
― Yevgeny Zamyatin
Isn't that awful? Under all that smoke are Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, and more. We'd have clear skies right now if it weren't for the haze, so I'm not sure if I feel like doing any nature photography today. Maybe I'll check out a few nearby spots for insects. I'm a determinist, so I'll just wait and see what I do.
In this map below, red indicates an 'out of control' wildfire:
Nasty! Canadian forests are extremely dry, and fires are starting from both lightning strikes and human activity like campfires or cigarettes. Some are even "zombie fires"—blazes that smolder underground all winter, through snow and rain, and reignite in the spring. These overwintering fires are becoming more common in northern areas as the climate warms.
The boreal forest is one of the most important breeding grounds for migratory birds in North America, but increasingly massive, intense wildfires are threatening that role. Birds have long adapted to natural fire cycles—many even benefit from them—but today's fires are burning hotter, larger, and more frequently than ever before. That disrupts the patchwork of habitats birds rely on, from old-growth forests to fresh shrublands. When fires scorch everything in their path, there’s no refuge left. Even species adapted to fire struggle, especially during nesting season, when birds have to choose between staying with their young in dangerous conditions or abandoning the nest entirely. With these extreme fire events becoming the norm, the long-term outlook for many of these birds is increasingly grim.