Wildfire risks are rising fastest in northern Canada, study shows

A University of British Columbia study found wildfire seasons in northern Canada are lengthening, with the greatest increase in extreme fire conditions observed in B.C.’s boreal cordillera region.

Amanda Follett Hosgood reports for The Tyee.

In short:

• The study analyzed 40 years of wildfire data and found an average increase of 0.5 severe burn days per year across Canada, with northern regions seeing the sharpest rise.
• The boreal cordillera, spanning northern B.C. and the southern Yukon, showed the largest increase — 1.8 additional severe burn days annually between 2001 and 2020.
• Researchers attribute the rise to climate change, with spring and fall showing more new burn-prone days due to drier conditions.

Key quote:

“Broadleaf and mixed-wood forests may offer some resilience with lower burn severity potential compared to coniferous forests. However, these forests remain vulnerable to severe burns, particularly in spring and autumn, under conducive weather conditions.”

— Weiwei Wang, research scientist at Natural Resources Canada

Why this matters:

Prolonged fire seasons in northern forests heighten risks to ecosystems and communities, especially Indigenous and rural areas. With extreme fires increasing, researchers stress the urgency for proactive fire management strategies to adapt to a changing climate.

Read more: Boreal forests struggle to recover from frequent fires