Wildfires: why are they increasing and what can we do about them?

Wildfires are increasing across Canada and the globe. Find out why and what we can do about it.

Does it seem as if wildfires are becoming a normal part of the summertime? That’s because, sadly, they are. Wildfires are more frequent and more ferocious than ever before, not just in Canada but across the world. Find out what wildfires are, why they’re increasing and what to do if you experience a wildfire.

What are wildfires?

Wildfires are uncontrollable, often highly damaging fires that burn outside in rural areas like grassland and forests. These fires can burn above and below ground. There are two types of above-ground fires: surface fires, which burn up leaves and debris on the ground, and crown fires, which burn in the canopies at the tops of the trees. Ground fires–ones that burn under the soil, often fuelled by plant roots–can continue burning through the whole season, even underneath frozen ground throughout the winter, developing into zombie fires. Once the snow melts, these zombie fires turn into surface fires and crown fires, setting the whole area ablaze.

Are wildfires increasing in Canada?

Short answer: yes. Wildfires are increasing in both ferocity and frequency. The last three years have seen record-breaking devastation in Canada, with millions of hectares of forest burned. 2026 so far is already shaping up to be the worst fire season Ontario has ever seen, with hundreds of fires burning across the province. On July 15th 2026, those living in Southern Ontario and even parts of the Northen US woke up to hazy yellow skies, as smoke from these fires travelled south, causing the city to experience the worst air quality in the world for multiple days.

It isn’t just surface fires, but these underground zombie fires are increasing rapidly in Canada. In 2024, 91 of these fires were still burning by spring in British Columbia, compared to the previous 10-year average of 6. 

Wildfires are also increasing in other countries

Wildfires are not just a Canadian problem. NASA reports that “extreme wildfire activity has more than doubled worldwide.” The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a report in 2022 stating that by the end of the century, ‘catastrophic wildfire events’ are likely to increase further.

Repeated fires in California over the last few years are threatening to permanently destroy forestland. Efforts to replant destroyed forest are failing because fires break out too regularly.

In Europe, summer temperatures are skyrocketing, with the two summers in a row reaching up to 40 degrees. These high temperatures are not the couple weeks of good weather that people may have wished for ten or twenty years ago, they are the most deadly weather hazard that Europe experiences. Many European cities and countries are not adapted to deal with these temperatures, which makes living in the heat extremely difficult. These high temperatures bring another hazard with them: wildfires. This summer wildfires are raging in France and Spain. Firefighters have died, people have lost their homes, and thousands have been evacuated.

In Scotland, which usually has a cool and wet climate, the Cairngorms National Park has been on fire for two weeks. People on the ground called the scenes ‘apocalyptic’ and criticized the government for their slow and unequipped response. 300-year-old pine trees and precious habitat for ground-dwelling and rare animals have been destroyed. Many countries don’t have the people, equipment or experience to cope with wildfires.

What causes wildfires?

Wildfires are caused by nature and by humans. Lightning strikes trigger most naturally caused wildfires. In Canada, according to Canada Wildfire, a little less than 50% of all wildfires are caused by lightning. During a storm, lightning can strike multiple locations in the same area, causing several fires to break out at once.

The other slightly more than 50% of Canadian wildfires are caused by human beings. This can range from accidental causes, like faulty power lines, vehicle or equipment malfunctions, to negligent causes, like starting campfires where you shouldn’t, discarding lit cigarettes carelessly or setting off fireworks. It also includes intentional causes, like arson, where someone starts a fire on purpose.

In other locations, human causes may be higher, especially in places without enforced fire bans or with a lot of agricultural or industrial burning practices. According to the US National Park Service, 85% of all wildfires in the US between 2000-2017 were caused by human beings. In the Brazilian Amazon, 91% of wildfires are intentionally started by criminal gangs clearing land to conduct illegal agriculture or mining projects.

In a worrying development, online betting companies are allowing people to bet on wildfires. Climate scientists worry that this will encourage people to start fires or to let them burn longer, because they might make money from it.

Is climate change causing wildfires?

Climate change is making fires worse. Climate change increases the intensity and frequency of wildfires and forest fires. Climate change means hotter and drier summers: perfect conditions for wildfires to burn. The Canadian Climate Institute explains how climate change is making the fire season longer.

This is a particularly big problem for Canada because Canada is warming at twice the rate of many other countries.

How do wildfires impact people and the environment?

Although wildfires are, to a point, a natural occurrence that can benefit some plants and the wider ecosystem, they are also destructive. Wildfires force animals and people to flee their homes, destroying habitats and housing and even resulting in death. According to Our World in Data, hundreds of people die in wildfires each year. Other data shows that many more–almost 700,000–people die a year globally from wildfire smoke-related causes. Many of those are vulnerable people, such as children under 5, elderly people or people with pre-existing health conditions such as Asthma.

Even if it doesn’t kill you, smoke from wildfires can seriously affect your health. Scientists have found over 1000 toxins in wildfire smoke that can cause significant damage to your body and brain. This puts stress on the health system, costing billions of dollars. 

Experiencing a wildfire can also be very traumatic and negatively impact your mental health. Isolated, rural communities, many of which are indigenous communities, are often those most impacted by wildfires. In Canada, 80% of majority indigenous communities live in fire-prone regions, with many experiencing evacuation, not just once but multiple times, over recent years. This is true in other regions too, such as in the Amazon Rainforest, where indigenous communities live and try to fight the wildfires. 

A less discussed impact of wildfires is the financial impact. According to The Climate Institute, wildfires make living more expensive for everyone. One wildfire in Alberta in 2016 cost almost $9 billion. As fires break out during summer when people are on vacation, often in the rural areas where wildfires are more likely to happen, the local tourist economy is impacted. This continues even after the fires are put out, as accommodation may have been damaged or destroyed by fires in the previous months or years. Communities that rely on tourism are hit hard when it’s not safe for people to visit or participate in outdoor activities.

Do wildfires impact climate change?

Plants and soil collect carbon in a process called ‘sequestering.’ When plants burn, they release this sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere. If the fire is too big, it can damage the soil, unlocking carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years. Not just that, but the new forest that grows back is less able to store carbon than the older forest.

In this way, large fires become part of a fire feedback loop: burning fossil fuels causes global warming, which makes the climate hotter and drier, which causes wildfires to burn longer and more often, which releases more carbon emissions back into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming.

Solutions to the wildfire problem

All of this may sound scary and unstoppable. After all, when we say something is ‘spreading like wildfire’, it often means that it’s happening too fast for us to do anything about it. The good news is, there are many things we can do to reduce wildfires and take action when we experience one.

Indigenous knowledge and controlled burning

Indigenous and First Nations communities across the world have been using forest management techniques for thousands of years. In many places, including North America and Australia, indigenous people practice cultural burning, also known as controlled burning. This involves setting small fires on purpose before the fire season starts to stop bigger fires breaking out later on. Fire can also be beneficial to nature, helping some plants reproduce and grow. Setting controlled fires reduces the risk of uncontrollable wildfires and benefits the plants.

For many years, these indigenous practices were suppressed because of colonialism. Now, they are being recognized as important tools in managing forest fires. Supporting indigenous communities to take the lead on using and passing on these techniques can help us all better manage uncontrollable fires.

Fire bans

Another technique for helping to control wildfires is to ban outdoor fires in at-risk areas during fire season. You might have seen the signs in National Parks advising of a ‘fire ban.’ In Canada, the Parks Canada service is responsible for assessing if a fire ban is needed and then communicating and enforcing that ban. They will ban high-risk activities like campfires or coal BBQs, because there is a high chance that burning embers can be blown onto dry grass or leaves, or that people will just not put out the fire well enough before they leave causing the flames to keep burning and eventually spread.

These fire bans are put in place for a reason, and we all must make sure we follow them. The Ontario Parks blog has a useful list of things that are and are not banned to ensure you know exactly what you can do when out picnicking or camping in nature.

Investing in emergency wildfire budgets

When wildfires break out, we need a fast and powerful response. To tackle the fires, we need emergency services with the right tools and people to help put the fires out. It is the government’s responsibility to put money aside to pay for these things. However, over the last few years, the provincial government in Ontario has cut the emergency firefighting budget by almost $50 million, despite the record-breaking fires the province has been experiencing these past few years. The Canadian government currently spends up to $1 billion a year on fighting wildfires. With wildfires increasing in number and severity, more money is needed for local and national governments to tackle this issue, not less.

Taking action on climate change

We know that climate change is increasing the number of fires we have and how big those fires are. To tackle that problem, we need to take action on climate change. This means working harder to cut our global carbon emissions and slow down global warming. Unfortunately, governments across the world are not doing enough. Here in Canada, the national government has backtracked on climate policies, and according to a 2025 emissions report, it is not on track to meet its targets by 2030. 

At an international, national and provincial level, we need to use our vote and our voice to make it clear to politicians that they need to do more to keep us safe and reduce the harmful impacts of climate change.

Staying safe in a wildfire

It’s a good idea to be prepared in case you ever experience a wildfire or the effects of a wildfire.

If you are in a wildfire risk zone, you should be alert for wildfire warnings. These warnings will tell you if there is a fire happening and when you should evacuate. Make sure you have enough fuel and access to a vehicle to be able to evacuate safely. If you get an order to evacuate, do so immediately. 

It’s a good idea to have an emergency preparedness kit full of useful things you might need in an emergency, like flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit, water and food. For more advice, the Canadian Red Cross has a list of instructions for what to do before, during and after a fire. 

Tips for bad air quality

Small particles and chemicals generated by wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles and linger in the atmosphere. This can seriously impact air quality even in communities miles away. 

These pollutants can significantly harm your health, especially if you’re a vulnerable person like a child, an elderly person or someone with existing health problems. If a wildfire breaks out somewhere close by (even if it’s many miles away), you should:

1. Check air quality regularly

Those tiny particles of smoke are invisible. The only way to know if air quality is safe is to check an official air quality monitor. Most weather channels track this, or you can use the IQAir app or website.

2. Limit outdoor activity 

If pollutants are at unhealthy levels, you should limit how long you spend outside, especially when exercising, such as running or cycling. 

3. Keep windows and doors closed

Avoid letting too many outdoor pollutants into your home. You can also use an air purifier, if you have one.

4. Wear a mask

If you have to go outside, wear a mask to limit how many particles you’re breathing in. Make sure it’s an N95-rated mask. You can buy these from most home improvement stores. If you’re vulnerable and the air quality is very unsafe, you may want to consider wearing a mask even when indoors.

Wildfires are dangerous and increasingly common. Learning more about them can help us cope and adapt, as well as taking action to reduce their harmful impacts.