Canada at risk of another catastrophic wildfire season, government warns

Canadian officials warned Wednesday that the country could face another catastrophic wildfire season after last year. historical fires.

This winter, there have been warmer-than-normal temperatures and widespread drought conditions across Canada, officials said. The weather outlook indicates Canada can also expect warmer than normal temperatures this spring and summer, paving the way for wildfires.

“With the heat and drought prevailing across the country, we can expect the wildfire season to start earlier and end later, and potentially be more explosive,” Canada’s Minister of Defense said. Civil Protection, Harjit Sajjan, during a press conference.

Wildfire season in Canada typically runs from May to October. The country is home to approximately 9% of the world’s forests.

Last year’s wildfire season was the most destructive in history, Sajjan said. More than 6,000 fires burned in Canada last summer, destroying tens of millions of acres of land. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians were evacuated from their homes as wildfires ravaged the country.

Smoke spread toward the United States, covering parts of the East Coast and Midwest. Last June, New York City’s air quality became one of the worst in the world due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.

In 2023, severe weather in Canada caused more than $3.1 billion in insured losses, officials say.

Canada is preparing for the upcoming wildfire season, with the federal government working closely with local governments to examine what happened last summer. Officials work on emergency planning and risk assessments. Emphasis was also placed on obtaining specialist firefighting equipment and training firefighters.

“It is impossible to predict with certainty the summer that lies ahead, but what is clear is that wildfires will pose a significant challenge for Canada in the future, as the impacts of climate change continue to intensify,” Sajjan said.

Government officials have also stressed the need to combat climate change.

“Extreme weather events are becoming far too familiar to Canadians as the impacts of climate change hit our communities,” Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said in a statement. “These events cost Canadians and their governments billions of dollars.”

Climate-related impacts currently cost the average Canadian household $720 per year, according to government data. This amount is expected to reach around $2,000 per year by 2050.

“We must do more to prepare for the impacts of climate change, and we must accelerate our collective efforts to stop adding carbon pollution to this global crisis,” Guilbeault said. “After the stunning 2023 wildfire season, we are once again faced with the possibility of another active wildfire season this year. This is a stark reminder that we must work together to reduce the risks of climate change to keep Canadian communities safe.