(NewsNation) — The Canadian wildfire season this year has already been called the second worst on record.

It has triggered air quality alerts, with parts of the Great Lakes still in the moderate to unhealthy category as of Sunday morning. The smoke can pose health risks from long-term exposure.

The heat dome has continued to expand, bringing more heat up north than in the past. In turn, it pushes the jet stream further up north as well, which is made up of fast-moving winds in the upper atmosphere that flow around the outer edge of the air mass.

The jet stream also steers storm systems, meaning lightning strikes are occurring further north into Canada, igniting the fires that quickly spread across the drought-stricken landscape. With the majority of the country's population living along

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