WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) US President Joe Biden has been briefed and is being updated regularly about the ongoing Canadian wildfires, which the administration has sent over 600 firefighters to help contain, the White House said on Wednesday.
"The President has been regularly updated (on the wildfires in Canada) since he directed his team to provide impacted communities whatever support they need," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a briefing on Wednesday.
Jean Pierre added that the Biden administration remains in contact with the Canadian government, and has deployed over 600 US firefighters and personnel, including equipment such as water bombers, to aid the containment efforts.
There are currently over 400 wildfires that have devastated Canadian forests over the last several weeks from British Colombia to Nova Scotia. Smoke from the fires has compromised the air quality of over 100 million US citizens across 18 states.
"We also have been in close touch with state and local leaders including in Michigan, Illinois, and New York. And multiple agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, and FEMA are coordinating with state, local, and tribal governments to get timely and accurate information out to communities about local air quality conditions and what steps they can take to protect themselves," said Jean-Pierre.
The administration is encouraging people located in areas impacted by the wildfires to pay attention to state and local officials for updates, and to take precautions, such as wearing a mask outdoors, to avoid potential health risks posed by the polluted air.
Jean-Pierre urged citizens in impacted regions to monitor AirNow.gov for real-time information about air quality in their areas as smoke from the fires continues to saturate the air as it travels east.
From: Katherine Dubois - katherine[email protected]
