Wildfires in Canada Continue to Set New Records for Total Land Burned

The Canadian Press reported on Sunday (7-16-23) that Canada’s record-breaking wildfire season has now seen 100,000 kilometers (38,610 square miles) of land scorched as blazes continue burn out of control across the entire country. For perspective, the total land burned is roughly the size of Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Michigan combined.

Canada surpassed the record set in 1989 for total area burned in one season on June 27th, when the figure totaled 76,000 square kilometers. Communities have faced evacuation orders, heat warning, and poor air quality for months.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC) says the majority of blazes are now in Western Canada, and BC has the greatest number with 373 active fires. Wildfires in BC have prompted more than 70 current evacuation alerts or orders as of Sunday, with many clustered in the province’s central interior.

Based on forecasted conditions, Natural Resources Canada expects the wildfire season will continue to be unusually intense throughout July and into August. According to the report, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says the good news is that conditions are expected to improve significantly in Eastern Canada.