What sparked the Canadian wildfires wreaking havoc across the US? trends now Wildfires raging across six of Canada's 13 provinces and territories have caused havoc nationwide for the last six weeks - forcing mass evacuations and burning through more than 3.3 million hectares of land, larger than the state of Maryland. With the smoke now billowing down to the East Coast of the United States, affecting 75 million Americans, the dire threat to Canada's forests has come into sharp focus. Some blame lax forest management, arguing that not enough controlled burns are being carried out thanks to campaigns by environmentalists. In 2020, four scientists wrote a paper published in Progress in Disaster Science in which they said not enough money was being spent by Canada on managing forests. 'Wildfire management agencies in Canada are at a tipping point,' they wrote. 'Presuppression and suppression costs are increasing but program budgets are not.' But others say that climate change is directly responsible, due to the warming planet. Canada had an extremely dry and snow-free winter, which has left all 10 provinces currently facing conditions termed abnormal dryness, moderate or severe drought, according to the Canadian government's drought tracker. Smoke is seen billowing from the Donnie Creek Complex fire, south of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, on June 3 All 10 provinces in Canada are currently affected by abnormally dry conditions, thanks to an exceptionally dry winter Late last month, Canada experienced its hottest day ever when the town of Lytton, in British Columbia, hit 121 degrees Fahrenheit, smashing the previous record of 113 degrees. It tied California's Death Valley as the hottest place in North America that day. As a result, the wildfire season has begun incredibly early. More than 1,400 percent of the normal amount of acres has burned for this time of the year - 8.7 million acres so far in 2023, an area the size of Vermont. In an average year, 6.2 million acres will burn due to wildfires. Dry, hot weather also breeds more lightning. Half of Canada's wildfires are started by lightning; the other half by humans. Lightning-sparked fires are more destructive than human-caused, however: they account for more than 85 percent of wildfire destruction. Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, tweeted: 'This wildfire season has already been devastating for communities across the country. 'We're taking action to keep people safe, to support those affected, and to make sure the provinces and territories have the assistance they need.' Huge swathes of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are currently ablaze, as well as British Columbia. A swimmer in Cameron Lake in front of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire near Port Alberni, British Columbia, on Tuesday A water bomber is seen over Port Alberni, British Columbia, on Tuesday On Wednesday, Joe Biden said that the United States was sending firefighters to help. 'We've deployed more than 600 U.S. firefighters, support personnel, and equipment to support Canada as they respond to record wildfires – events that are intensifying because of the climate crisis,' he tweeted. Donald Trump repeatedly blamed wildfires on poor land management rather than seeing it as an effect of climate change. Wildfires are not started by climate change, and naturally occur. But the changing climate, with drier conditions, provides more kindling and makes their impact more severe. Some scientists believe rising global temperatures can affect the jet stream's flow, making it weaker. That allows air to sit stagnant for longer, and heat up. Canada's natural resources agency says climate change could potentially double the amount of area burned by the end of this century. A helicopter waterbomber drops water onto the Cameron Bluffs in British Columbia on Tuesday For Canada, that means a possible problem for the timber industry, as well as destruction of valuable ecosystems. The Canadian government on Monday said the outlook for the rest of 2023 was deeply troubling, with the fires expected to worsen. 'Current June projections indicate the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity across most of the country throughout the 2023 wildland fire season due to ongoing drought and long-range forecasts for warm temperatures,' they said. 'For June, warm and dry conditions will increase wildfire risk in most of Canada from British Columbia and Yukon eastward into western Quebec and the Atlantic region. 'During July, wildfire potential is expected to expand into Yukon, although the eastern edge will recede from western Quebec into central Ontario.' All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility