On July 7, Mike Flannigan, a scientist at the University of Alberta, stared at satellite imagery on his computer as one wildfire after another ignited across British Columbia during the course of the unusually hot day.
Like much of the Western U.S. this summer, British Columbia has been under the influence of a broad area of high pressure in the atmosphere, which inhibits storm systems that could bring beneficial rainfall, and favors hotter and drier weather than average.
In total, 140 wildfires began on that one day, setting what may be a new record, Flannigan said in an interview.
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