Originally published June 27, 2023 at The Narwhal. Read the full story here.

2023 was a record year for Canadian wildfires. At times, it felt like the whole country was burning. 2024 was better, but still devastating and many Canadians face a new reality: the seemingly never-ending possibility of a summer choked with smoke and flames. 

Wildfires consumed record-breaking chunks of the country in 2023, thanks to a dry, hot spring. Choking smoke, increasingly common in Western Canada during fire season, blanketed more populous eastern cities and led to more coverage and concern for what’s happening when it comes to Canada’s wildfires. 

Hot conditions, lightning, human carelessness and forests left cluttered and itching for rebirth have all contributed to the infernos. 

The 2025 wildfire season has already been devastating for many communities, with both Manitoba and Saskatchewan declaring states of emergency in May on account of wildfires. Increased wildfire activity is a pattern the country is likely to see repeated in the coming decades. Temperatures are expected to rise with climate change. Precipitation is expected to be erratic. Disease and pests are killing or weakening trees and forests are continuously managed for industry, homes and infrastructure, a practice that has made forests more flammable.

Here’s a breakdown of how fires start and why they seem to be getting worse. 

READ THE FULL STORY AT THE NARWHAL.