Unprecedented Wildfire Season in Canada: Breaking All Records

This year has witnessed the most devastating wildfires in Canada, surpassing all previous records. The extent of the burned area is equivalent to the size of Wisconsin, and the fire season is not yet over. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, these fires have scorched around 41 million acres, which is more than double the previous record of 17.5 million acres set in 1995. In the decade preceding this year, the average area burned was only around 6.2 million acres. However, while the burned area has significantly increased, the number of fires has remained relatively unchanged, as reported by Quartz. Over the past 25 years, the average number of fires per year was approximately 6,108, whereas in 2023 alone, 6,131 fires have already been recorded.

According to scientists, the main issue is that climate change has led to drier conditions, enabling wildfires to spread faster, cover longer distances, and occur earlier than in previous years. Moreover, these wildfires contribute to the worsening climate crisis. The director general of the northern forestry center at the Canadian Forest Center, Michael Norton, stated that these fires have already emitted a billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equivalent to the annual emissions of the global airline industry, as reported by the CBC. Norton emphasized the relentlessness of this fire season, with the largest area burned ever recorded since comprehensive records started to be kept.

The Canadian wildfires have caused severe air pollution in eastern US states, and the smoke continues to drift towards the US, according to Axios. Air quality alerts have been issued in several states, including Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Nebraska, extending until Thursday. As of Wednesday night, the CIFFC reported that 1,008 wildfires were still burning in Canada. (Read more wildfires stories.)