US to send satellite data to Canada to help detect wildfires

FILE PHOTO: A soldier of the 5th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG) views a wildfire from a Canadian Forces helicopter surveying the area near Mistissini, Quebec, Canada June 12, 2023. Cpl Marc-Andre Leclerc/Canadian Forces/Handout via REUTERS/ File Photo

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense began sending real-time satellite and sensor data to Canadian authorities on Friday, technology it said would help more quickly identify new fires as that nation endures one of its most destructive early wildfire seasons.

The U.S. has already dispatched more than 600 firefighters to Canada to help battle the flames. President Joe Biden, who has linked wildfires to climate change, said U.S. officials were monitoring air quality and aviation delays.