'We must make peace with nature' says UN chief amid Canada wildfires

UNITED NATIONS

The head of the UN demanded urgent action to reduce wildfire risk as air quality worsens for millions in North America amid fires in Canada.

Antonio Guterres posted a picture on Twitter from his office on the 38th floor at UN headquarters of an orange haze across New York City making skylines difficult to see from even a short distance.

''At our UN Headquarters in New York, we can feel the deteriorating air quality as smoke from the wildfires in Canada moves south,'' he said. ''With global temperatures on the rise, the need to urgently reduce wildfire risk is critical. We must make peace with nature. We cannot give up.''

Canada has been battling wildfires since the beginning of May with more than 400 still active, according to Canadian authorities.

Around 9.4 million acres of land has burned and more than 20,000 people have been evacuated.