Large wildfire burns in Greenland for two weeks

A huge wildfire has been burning in Greenland for two weeks now, the media reported on Sunday.

The wildfire was first spotted by satellites on July 31 and last photographed on August 16 when it was still growing, reports the Guardian.

It was burning about 40 miles from the Greenland ice sheet and about 90 miles northeast of the city of Sisimiut.

America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the blaze posed a risk to Greenland's ice sheet because falling soot turns the surface of the sheet black, which can make it melt faster.

It is not known what caused the fire. Scientists at the University of Technology in Delft in the Netherlands said 2017 was by far the worst year for wildfires in Greenland since records began in 2000.

 

Firefighters have not been dispatched to tackle the blaze because it is not threatening any people or homes.

It is likely to burn until September when temperatures drop and snow starts to fall.

--IANS

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