Global Courant
President Biden offered additional resources to Canada during a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday as historic wildfires sweep through the country and smoke pours into US states as far south as North Carolina.
According to a White House statement, the president has directed that all available federal firefighting resources be used to suppress the hundreds of fires afflicting the Canadian and American communities.
As of Wednesday night, the US has sent more than 600 firefighters and support personnel across the border to help with the response.
Trudeau echoed similar sentiments in a longer tweet, writing: “We are seeing more and more of these fires due to climate change. These fires are impacting daily routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality. We will continue to work – here at home and with partners around the world – to tackle climate change and address its impacts.”
CANADA WARNS RECORD WILD FIRE DESTRUCTION BY 2023 AS TRAVELING SMOKE AFFECTS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
As of Thursday morning, there are 439 active wildfires in Canada, and 250 of those are considered out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. The same data shows that 116 of the 439 wildfires are under control and 73 are contained.