Canada was met with an extraordinarily intense wildfire season for 2023, and climate change may increase the frequency of such severe wildfires in the coming years. In comparison, there has been an average of 5,107 wildfires per year for the past decade, affecting 2.62 million hectares on average per year. On the other hand, Quebec had the largest area burnt, at 5.31 million hectares of land. Experts analyzed the Quebec wildfires and found that climate conditions, human activities, and environmental sensitivities contributed to the intensity of this year’s wildfire season. Ellen Whitman from Natural Resources Canada told CBC News that impacted forests will likely sustain lasting changes.

Source: CBC News September 05, 2023 01:42 UTC