* Washington Post…

Blistering temperatures reached unheard-of northerly latitudes in Canada over the weekend amid dangerously hot and dry conditions, lightning storms and new blazes that intensified the country’s historically severe fire season.

The temperature soared as high as 100 degrees in the Northwest Territories on Saturday, the hottest temperature ever measured north of 65 degrees latitude in the Western Hemisphere, according to Christopher Burt, an extreme-weather historian.

The scorching temperatures over western Canada exacerbated the country’s unprecedented wildfire crisis. A record 22.7 million acres (9.2 million hectares) have burned so far, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, blowing past the previous high mark of 17.5 million acres (7.1 million hectares) in 1995. There are months of the wildfire season to go.

I got curious so I looked up some things. 9.2 million hectares works out to 35,521 square miles, making it 64 percent of all the land in Illinois (55,593 square miles). Indiana land is 35,868 square miles, meaning it’s just a tiny bit larger than the area burned so far (and there are “months of the wildfire season to go”).

* From the CBC…

Researchers say there are ways to slow these changes, starting with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, [Jennifer Baltzer, an associate professor in the department of biology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario] said improved fire management, by allowing some fires to burn in some cases, and increasing the number of prescribed burns in others, would help scale back the number of out-of-control, large-scale fires.

* Isabel did a quick roundup…

* NYT | Canada’s Ability to Prevent Forest Fires Lags Behind the Need: At a time when many Canadians are asking if the country has enough wildfire fighting resources, several experts say the government should be focused on doing all it can to prevent wildfires, a focus from which it has strayed since budget cuts imposed in the 1990s that hampered the nation’s forest service.

* Sun-Times | Underground climate change poses a ‘silent hazard’ in Chicago and other cities, researchers find: Heat can cause the ground to swell and building foundations to slowly sink, particularly in the high-temperature Loop — but that hot air can be captured and turned into energy, Northwestern researchers say.

* Accesswire | Wilmette Park District is Ready to ‘Go Solar’ After Governor Pritzker Signs Bill Legalizing Long-Term Solar Contracts: “We are very excited for this change in state law that will finally allow us to go solar,” said Mike Murdock, Wilmette Park District commissioner and former board president. “The project will cover over 90 percent of the Community Recreation Center’s roof and provide more than 50 percent of the building’s electrical usage over the next 25 years. It will help us do our part to support the climate and save taxpayer money, all while continuing to provide top-tier services for our residents.”

* Ben Jealous | To feel less heat, we need more trees in our cities: The need couldn’t be simpler to state: Plant more trees where there are too few. But meeting the need has been less of a priority for those in neighborhoods where shade isn’t a luxury. We can’t overlook the fact that urban trees help everyone — they keep close to a billion metric tons of climate-killing carbon out of the atmosphere.

* Fox Illinois | University YMCA announces 21st annual Dump & Run Recycling Program and sale: Each year, the YMCA keeps around 30 tons of unwanted goods out of Champaign-Urbana’s dumpsters and landfills. Collection of usable items will begin from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 31 at the U of I Stock Pavillion, located at 1402 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Urbana. Collections will then occur from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays through August 12. The YMCA offers free pick-up days for furniture and bicycle donations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 5 and August 12. Request a pick-up here.