Recently, have the skies in Chicago been looking sort of hazy? A little red? This has to do with the recent Canadian wildfires that are making the residents of Chicago have a hazy sky.
Canadian Wildfires
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, decided to go to Alberta last Monday due to the recent wildfires that have been spreading across Canada. This caused evacuation for everyone near the wildfires, and they were forced to reduce energy production. Meteorologists have concluded that Canada won’t be getting any rain for 10 days. Later, Trudeau received an update about Canadian soldiers offering to help the firefighters on putting out the wildfires. According to the Alberta government, more troops will be helping in the next few days.
These wildfires have resulted in making more than 30 thousand people flee their homes and shut down at least 3.7% of the national oil production. The first eleven days of May have set new heat records for Canada happened in Alberta. “We’re very concerned about the possibility of dry lightning in an area that’s already got a pretty high fire risk,” stated meteorologist Sara Hoffman. Some very dry conditions are expected in Canada this week. By last Monday, about ninety fires had already spread all across Alberta, and out of those 90, 23 were uncontrollable.
How Does This Affect Chicago?
These wildfires happening in Canada are bound to leave a ton of smoke behind. Unfortunately for Chicago, the smoke went east and was able to affect the hazy sky of Chicago. Recently the city has seen a hazy sky here, also making the sun look bright red.
The hazy sky is a product of Canada’s wildfire smoke. This does not necessarily affect the community directly, but it affects the sky and visibility. “This happens because the smoke only allows for red and orange wavelengths of light to pass through, resulting in beautiful red and orange sunsets and sunrises,” stated meteorologist Alicia Roman.
The reason a hazy sky makes the environment look red is that smoke cannot absorb all the colors the sun provides. When the sunlight hits the smoke, the colors yellow, green, blue, and purple bounce off, and the colors red and orange pass through. This is why when Chicago has a hazy sky, all people see is orange and red.
Looking on the bright side, the hazy sky will give Chicago an amazing orange and red sunrise and sunset view. And due to this Chicago has warmer temperatures even if there’s no bright yellow sun and blue sky. However, this is only temporary and will only last about a week or two, then the sky can bring back the blue, yellow, green, and purple colors back.
S.O.S Wildfire: What To Do?
Wildfires are a natural disaster that, just like any other, is very destructive. Unfortunately, many people get affected by this and not many know what to do in case it happens. It is good to be prepared for any type of natural disaster. Here are some tips on what to do in case of a wildfire.
Watch or read the news daily if there is a high risk of wildfires. If there is a wildfire coming ahead, don’t panic, and don’t evacuate.
Call 911 and make them aware of the situation. Get all the people that are in the house and pets in one room of the house.
Close all doors and windows but don’t lock them. Turn off anything that needs gas and turn on all lights to be spotted easier.
Wear long sleeve shirts and pants to prevent possible burning and long-term scarring. The house will get hot but not as hot as it is outside, so stay indoors and drink plenty of water.
Once the fire passes, carefully check outside for any small fires and put them out. The most important thing to do is to stay calm.
Written By Erika P. Cano Peralta
Sources:
NBC Chicago: Noticing Hazy Chicago Skies? Here’s Why and What You Should Watch for Next
Reuters: Canadian PM Trudeau visits Alberta as wildfires rage
WTTW News: Smoke From Canada’s Wildfires Creating Hazy, Red Skies in Chicago
Chubb: What to Do When a Wildfire Approaches
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Riik@mctr Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of onnobos Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
