Scientists Say Catastrophic Wildfires Are The New Norm For Canada. Here's Why

Wildfires in Canada are only getting worse. The latest wildfire season to hit the nation has proven to be the second-worst on record. The 2025 season is second only to the 2023 wildfire season, which saw over 42 million acres of land burned throughout the course. At least 6.6 million acres of area has been burned down just at the start of the season this year, from April to June.

As the season wears on, things are only getting worse — with some reports indicating that the wildfires are now burning in places they never used to. As per researchers with the United Nations University in Shibuya, Japan, one of the major causes of the fires is climate change. This has left the nation's forests in a mess of dried, dead vegetation that serves as ideal conditions for fires to start and spread. The researchers break down the ongoing issues in a detailed report on the current wildfire season, while also looking at how the issue might cascade into even bigger problems in the future.

The United Nations recently stated that humanity's attempts to fight climate change are failing. When you look at all the evidence, it's hard not to agree. While wildfires have been a problem for years, the ongoing changes to global temperatures have left Canada even more susceptible to fires that spread and last longer than ever before.

Several fires in Canada are now classified as "out of control," with over 17 million acres of land already burned this year alone. The issue is only going to get worse as climate change continues to drive temperatures higher around the world. As these warmer temperatures settle in, fire season will gradually extend, thanks to changes in rain patterns and longer periods of heat. Along with moisture being sucked out of the vegetation, it also means longer periods of volatile weather, like lightning storms, creating a breeding ground for more fires to spread across the nation.

Many experts have already begun calling for Canada to look for new approaches to how it deals with the fire season, as things are not expected to get better anytime soon. In fact, a National Windland Fire Situation Report from the Canadian government shows that 2025 alone has already seen more area burned than the 10-year average. This is extremely concerning for Canadian citizens, who not only have to contend with the fires, but also the byproduct of those fires — smoke, ash, property damage, and even possible injury or death.

Unfortunately, with no real solution to climate change agreed upon so far, global temperatures will only continue to rise. Scientists, however, have come up with a number of possible solutions, like a massive sun-blocking umbrella, a shield of moon-dust to help filter out sunlight, and more. But as mentioned above, the fires aren't the only danger to contend with; the smoke they release is also extremely toxic and can spread, as winds carry smoke and accompanying flames farther across the land.

This is the third year in a row that Canada has seen fire activity well above average. With the season still a few months out from ending, and climate change only growing worse, scientists are worried about what the future wildfire seasons might hold for Canada and even the U.S. — as the smoke from the fires has been spreading south, impacting the lives of anyone within the areas around them.