As wildfires rage, an updated outlook shows the worst may be yet to come

The wildfire season so far this year has been the second worst on record after 2023, according to the Government of Canada, which forecasts the trend to continue.

There are approximately 225 active wildfires burning across the country, with 121 classified as being “out of control,” and this wildfire season is expected to continue to be challenging, federal officials say.

On Thursday, officials with Public Safety Canada provided a technical briefing on the state of multiple wildfires across Canada — especially in parts of the Prairies where dozens of communities and thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate.

More than 3.5 million hectares of forests have been burned so far just this year, according to government data, and that’s estimated to be more than four times the 10-year average dating back to 2015.

The amount of damage from wildfires so far this year amounts to more than six times the land area of Prince Edward Island.

“This is the second-highest cumulative area burned for this time of year, second only to the record setting fire season of 2023 at the same time of that year,” said Michael Norton with Natural Resources Canada.

“Approximately 76 per cent of the national area burned so far is in the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The area burned to date in these provinces is significantly higher than the long-term averages.”

With the trend expected to continue throughout the year, the worst of  this wildfire season may be yet to come.

“The outlook in the 2025 wildfire season indicates that wildfire risk across most of western and northern Canada is expected to be elevated over the coming months,” said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson.