When I fled from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, one of the few things I took was my lucky pen. I was holding it when I found out I had 15 minutes to abandon my home. I also had a feeling I might need it.

I never thought that, almost a decade later, I’d still be writing about what it’s like to lose your home to an apocalyptic firestorm.

But climate change means wildfires have gotten worse. Communities are still being evacuated. Homes are still being destroyed. And now lives are being lost.

The evacuation alerts start earlier every year. In Fort McMurray, residents pack go bags, check insurance policies, and pray for rain.

Canada’s wildfire system wasn’t built for today’s megafires. Its approach is seasonal: hire firefighters in the spring and release them in fall. That means high wo

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