Canada must prepare for bigger wildfires every summer

Wildfire seasons in Canada are growing more intense each year, and experts say the country needs to adapt to a new normal of larger, more destructive fires. The 2023 wildfire season, the worst on record, burned over 18 million hectares and forced tens of thousands of evacuations. Scientists point to climate change as the primary driver, with hotter, drier conditions creating a longer fire season. Years of fire suppression have also left large areas of forest dense with fuel, making fires harder to control. For communities, the stakes are high: property damage, health risks from smoke, and strained emergency services. Firefighting costs have soared, with the federal government spending billions annually. Officials are now debating how to shift from reactive suppression to proactive prevention, including controlled burns, forest thinning, and stricter building codes in fire-prone zones. The challenge is immense, but the alternative—continuing to fight ever-larger fires—may be unsustainable. The question is not whether wildfires will worsen, but how well Canada can prepare.