Canadian wildfire emissions double previous record as flames rage on

FILE PHOTO: Locals gather to watch firefighting efforts amid heavy smoke from the Eagle Bluff wildfire, after it crossed the Canada-U.S. border from the state of Washington and prompted evacuation orders, in Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Jesse Winter/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Forest fires in Canada this year have released 290 million tonnes of carbon, doubling a previous annual record, and emissions are set to rise as hundreds of flames remain active across the country, according to the EU's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service.

The estimated Canadian fires emissions account for over 25% of the global total for 2023 to date, and are well above the previous Canadian record of 138 million tonnes registered in 2014, Copernicus said on Thursday. Satellite monitoring of emissions began in 2003.