By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer As wildfires scorch Canada amid its second-worst wildfire season on record, Indigenous leaders and experts say the country\u2019s approach remains reactive \u2014 leaving Indigenous communities disproportionately vulnerable. At a Monday press conference, federal officials reported that 707 wildfires are currently active nationwide. The extreme fire activity has strained firefighting resources, prompting Canada to deploy over 560 international firefighters from six countries alongside Canadian personnel. This situation is particularly dire for Indigenous communities. Jen Baron, a postdoctoral researcher and incoming assistant professor at the University of British Columbia\u2019s Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, said this year\u2019s fires are occurring in regions such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Maritimes, where such large-scale activity has been less common historically. Many First Nations communities are… <\/p>\n
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer As wildfires scorch Canada amid its second-worst wildfire season on record, Indigenous leaders and experts say the country\u2019s approach remains reactive \u2014 leaving Indigenous communities disproportionately vulnerable. At a Monday press conference, federal officials reported that 707 wildfires are currently active nationwide. The extreme fire activity has strained firefighting resources, prompting Canada to deploy over 560 international firefighters from six countries alongside Canadian personnel. This situation is particularly dire for Indigenous communities. Jen Baron, a postdoctoral researcher and incoming assistant professor at the University of British Columbia\u2019s Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, said this year\u2019s fires are occurring in regions such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Maritimes, where such large-scale activity has been less common historically. Many First Nations communities are... <\/p>\n