Hazy smoke can be seen from wildfires originating in the Northwest U.S. and Canadian Rockies (circled in yellow). (Imagery courtesy of College of DuPage)It's summer again, so that means many in the Canadian Prairies and U.S. have noticed smoke filling the skies. That could be due to a heightened prevalence of social media and a more sensitive forecast and response from governments. But hot and dry conditions during the last month have caused a lot of that vegetation to go dormant, building fuel and creating the perfect conditions for wildfires. While local officials and first responders do their best to control the more than 70 fires in the Canadian Rockies and dozens more in the northwest U.S. and northern Canadian woodlands, fires are best controlled by Mother Nature.
