Canada's wildfire seasons are growing longer, larger and more destructive, according to a six-decade analysis of fire records by the federal government's Canadian Forest Service. Hanes is the lead author of both the 2019 and 2025 national studies examining long-term changes in Canada's wildfire regime. The dynamics Hanes describes are no longer abstract datasets but have played out repeatedly in recent wildfire seasons across the country. Pricing the fire riskThe shift in the wildfire landscape is also being felt in Canada's insurance industry, which is warning that rising wildfire risk is reshaping losses, premiums and long-term housing decisions across the country. "Our job is to price risk," McGuinty said, noting that in areas of Canada with greater wildfire exposure, insurers have had to make "changes to insurance policies."

Source: CBC News January 25, 2026 18:03 UTC