This Is the 'New Reality' in Canada

With more than 470 wildfires raging out of control across Canada and 7.3 million hectares already scorched, experts warn that this year's crisis signals a troubling new reality fueled by a warming climate. This is Canada's second-worst wildfire season on record so far after 2023, with burn areas 78% higher than the five-year average, per the Guardian. Experts point to climate change as the engine behind the surge in wildfires, noting that longer, hotter, and drier seasons are both extending the fire window and making conditions more combustible. "This is our new reality… the warmer it gets, the more fires we see," said fire science researcher Mike Flannigan, who added that higher temperatures dry out vegetation and create ideal fuel for intense, hard-to-control fires.

With 710 active fires across the country (see the map here), Flannigan and others have suggested a national wildfire agency be formed, per CTV News. The brunt of this year's destruction has hit the prairie provinces, with Saskatchewan and Manitoba accounting for about 60% of land burned. Tens of thousands have evacuated. The eastern provinces are also feeling the effects, as fires rage in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. The impact is stretching beyond Canada's borders as well, with thick smoke drifting into the US and triggering air quality warnings in several states. Scientists warn this is likely the beginning of a new era, where "smoke days" become routine and governments must rethink public health responses to persistent, widespread air pollution.