TORONTO — The 2025 wildfire season in Canada has become the second-worst on record. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, wildfires have consumed approximately 72,000 square kilometers, an area comparable to New Brunswick. This figure surpasses the previous second-worst season in 1989 and is about half the area burned during the record-setting 2023 season, based on a federal database that tracks wildfire seasons since 1972.

The current wildfire season has placed significant strain on firefighting resources. Thousands of people have been displaced, and communities across Canada are dealing with heavy smoke from the fires. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have experienced the most extensive areas burned this season.

Since late May, Canada has maintained its highest level of wildfire preparedness. To combat the fires, around 1,400 international firefighters have been deployed to assist local efforts this year.

Experts have raised concerns that climate change, exacerbated by fossil fuel consumption, is contributing to longer and more intense fire seasons. The ongoing situation highlights the increasing challenges posed by wildfires in Canada.