(NewsNation) — No, it isn’t something out of a horror movie.
Scientists say zombie fires are more like they sound than you might think. Basically, it’s a fire that becomes dormant in the winter only to become active again in warmer months.
“(The fires) will be active under the snow and come back again next spring,” said researcher Michael Mehta. “Some of the fires that you probably have this year are the result of that.”
It’s difficult to be certain at this time whether the Canadian wildfire is a zombie fire, but Mehta said one thing is certain: this isn’t just going to be a summer problem.
“I’m not gonna say the rest of the summer, I’ll probably say the rest of our lives, unfortunately,” he said. “And it is something that has been predicted for decades going forward. We’re going to have to learn to live with it.”
The smoke and haze that blanketed much of the Midwest this week is moving east.
The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that parts of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut could experience “unhealthy” air conditions.
