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Canada's wildfire season is underway.

Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp utility singed by wildfires
FILE - Fire damage is seen, Sept. 12, 2020, in Mill City, Ore. On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, a jury in Oregon ordered PacifiCorp to pay more than $42 million to 10 victims of devastating wildfires on Labor Day 2020 — the latest verdict in litigation that is expected to see the electric utility on the hook for billions in damages. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)
B.C’s auditor general to review government’s response to 2021 Lytton wildfire
British Columbia's auditor general says his office is doing a review of the province's response to the 2021 wildfire that devastated the community of Lytton, B.C. A fire truck leads a bus down Main Street past damaged structures during a media tour in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Ontario to give wildland firefighters presumptive coverage for cancers, PTSD
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. British Columbia's Peace River Regional District has cancelled an evacuation alert for areas around Chetwynd in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Preparing for wildfire season is a year-round endeavour in Western Canada
This handout picture provided by Alberta wildfire shows firefighters battling fires in Fox Lake that persist despite the cold and snow in Alberta on February 6.
Evacuation alert lifted as wildfire in northeastern B.C. now ‘held’
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. British Columbia's Peace River Regional District has cancelled an evacuation alert for areas around Chetwynd in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

What to know about wildfires in Canada

Latest news and updates about wildfires

energy and resources
Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp utility singed by wildfires
FILE - Fire damage is seen, Sept. 12, 2020, in Mill City, Ore. On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, a jury in Oregon ordered PacifiCorp to pay more than $42 million to 10 victims of devastating wildfires on Labor Day 2020 — the latest verdict in litigation that is expected to see the electric utility on the hook for billions in damages. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)
canada
B.C’s auditor general to review government’s response to 2021 Lytton wildfire
British Columbia's auditor general says his office is doing a review of the province's response to the 2021 wildfire that devastated the community of Lytton, B.C. A fire truck leads a bus down Main Street past damaged structures during a media tour in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Ontario to give wildland firefighters presumptive coverage for cancers, PTSD
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. British Columbia's Peace River Regional District has cancelled an evacuation alert for areas around Chetwynd in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Preparing for wildfire season is a year-round endeavour in Western Canada
This handout picture provided by Alberta wildfire shows firefighters battling fires in Fox Lake that persist despite the cold and snow in Alberta on February 6.
british columbia
Evacuation alert lifted as wildfire in northeastern B.C. now ‘held’
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. British Columbia's Peace River Regional District has cancelled an evacuation alert for areas around Chetwynd in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
british columbia
‘Extreme drought’ in area of early-season wildfire near Chetwynd, B.C.
An out-of-control wildfire in northeastern British Columbia has triggered the province's first evacuation of this year's fire season. A wildfire burns in the Peace River Regional District of British Columbia in a May 5, 2023, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-BC Wildfire Service *MANDATORY CREDIT*
british columbia
B.C. mom distributes air quality monitors after nine-year-old’s asthma death during wildfires
<p>Nine-year-old Carter Vigh, wearing a red sweatshirt, is pictured with his brother Daxton (left), sister Cadence, father James and mother Amber. Carter died of asthma exacerbated by wildfire smoke in July 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Amber Vigh &nbsp;&nbsp;*MANDATORY CREDIT *</p>
british columbia
Fire bans announced in B.C. and Alberta as more than 170 wildfires burn
Trees burned by the Bush Creek East Wildfire are seen above Little Shuswap Lake in Squilax, B.C., Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. The BC Wildfire Service has announced a five-month open fire ban covering much of the province's Interior, as fire season gets off to an early start. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Wildfires in B.C., Alberta signal an early start to a dry, volatile year
Smoke rises from the Burgess Creek wildfire (C20117), located 45 kilometres south of Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada, in this handout photograph released April 20, 2024, taken through the window of a plane. BC Wildfire Service/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
british columbia
‘Trees going up like Roman candles’ as fire season starts early in B.C. and Alberta
Wildfire season is getting an early start in British Columbia's central Interior and Cariboo regions. A hot spot from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burns in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</p>
energy and resources
Wildfire sparked by rupture on TC Energy’s NGTL gas pipeline under control; investigation continues
A wildfire burns near Edson, Alta. in this Tuesday, April 16, 2024, handout photo. A natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy Corp. ruptured near Edson, Alta. on Tuesday afternoon, sparking a wildfire. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Alberta Wildfire *MANDATORY CREDIT*
politics
Ottawa boosts funding to train urban firefighters to tackle wildfires
Firefighters with the British Columbia Wildfire Service Titan unit crew work to control the southeastern flank of the Bush Creek wildfire in Turtle Valley, after it destroyed homes and other structures in multiple communities in the North Shuswap region of British Columbia, Canada. August 23, 2023 REUTERS/Jesse Winter
british columbia
B.C. celebrates 10 billion seedlings planted since 1930
A Grand Fir tree at Francis/King Regional Park in Saanich, B.C., is shown on Thursday, May 26, 2016. British Columbia officials are celebrating the planting of 10 billion seedlings since reforestation efforts began nearly a century ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
canada
Urban firefighters to get additional training to also battle wildfire blazes
The federal government is doubling its investment to train urban firefighters to battle wildfires, which pose a growing threat to Canada's cities and towns. Firefighters drive across a farm while monitoring a controlled burn near a wildfire northwest of Vernon, B.C., Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
energy and resources
Canadian energy producers say they are prepared for 2024 drought, wildfire risks
Open burning will be banned across much of northern British Columbia starting next week, earlier than usual, after officials warned dry conditions could mean wildfire activity this spring. Flames from the Donnie Creek wildfire burn along a ridge top north of Fort St. John, B.C., Sunday, July 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Noah Berger
canada
Poilievre threatens no confidence vote on carbon price, Guilbeault calls him a liar
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses his caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
british columbia
Western Canada: Spring brings warnings of fierce wildfire season ahead
<div>As wildfires rage on in Western Canada, a communications and broadcasting policy expert says the national weather alerting system should account for a wider range of extreme climate-related events. A fallen tree burns at the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire, in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</div>
canada
‘The lost season’: Winter comes to a close as Canada’s warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions. A windsurfer cuts through the waves along Lake Ontario overlooking the City of Toronto skyline on a warm winter day in Mississauga, Ont., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
british columbia
B.C. prepares for what could be a dangerous wildfire season
The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
the decibel: a daily news podcast from the globe and mail
The challenge with preparing for wildfires in B.C.
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canada
Night no longer reprieve for wildland firefighting, study shows
The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Quebec teen drowns while swimming in Gulf of Mexico with high school swim club
A Quebec coroner is asking the province's ski industry to review its training and safety practices after a six-year-old girl died after being dragged by a T-bar lift during a ski lesson in January. A&nbsp;provincial flag flies in Ottawa, Friday July 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
world
Power lines ignited largest wildfire in Texas history, officials say
FILE - A telephone pole burns from the Smokehouse Creek Fire, Feb. 28, 2024, in Canadian, Texas. The utility provider Xcel Energy said Thursday, March 7, 2024 that its facilities appeared have played a role in igniting a massive wildfire in the Texas Panhandle that grew to the largest blaze in state history. (AP Photo/David Erickson, file)
report on business
Governments must change rules around housing to meet building, climate targets: task force
Housing data will be in spotlight Thursday when the Canadian Real Estate Association is expected to release is January home sales figures. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. will also release its latest reading on housing starts in the country the same day. New homes are constructed in Ottawa on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
british columbia
Inaccurate data on forest fuels may stoke B.C. wildfires, study finds
Wildfire fighting and forest management decision are potentially being hampered by inaccurate government data that misrepresents forest fuel loads in British Columbia's Interior, a new study says. The White Rock Lake wildfire burns west of Vernon, B.C., on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
world
Firefighters face difficult weather conditions as they battle the largest wildfire in Texas history
Local firefighters, slightly blurred by heat waves in the air, work to contain a wildfire after it was whipped up by high winds in Pampa, Texas, U.S., March 2, 2024. REUTERS/Leah Millis
world
Xcel Energy utility equipment started Texas wildfire, homeowner says in lawsuit
world
Wildfire scorching Texas Panhandle has grown to largest in state history
A drone view of the grasslands burning from the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Roberts County, Texas, U.S., February 28, 2024. REUTERS/Nathan Frandino
world
Wildfire grows into one of largest in Texas history as flames menace multiple small towns
world
Thousands told to flee homes in Australia amid heat spike, bushfire threat
(L-R) Country Fire Authority (CFA) Chief Officer Jason Heffernan, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes on a helicopter tour over the bushfire north of Beaufort, near Ballarat in Victoria, February 24, 2024. Firefighters are continuing to battle a large bushfire in western Victoria with authorities concerned conditions in the coming week will be the worst in four years. AAP Image/David Crosling/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA
world
California utility will pay $80-million to settle claims its equipment sparked devastating 2017 wildfire
FILE - Roger Kelton searches through the remains of his mother-in-law's home leveled by the Woolsey fire, Nov. 13, 2018, in the southern California city of Agoura Hills. Southern California Edison will pay $80 million to settle claims connected to a massive wildfire that destroyed more than a thousand homes and other structures in 2017, federal prosecutors said Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
international business
Berkshire Hathaway shares dip as U.S. threatens to sue unit over wildfire costs
FILE PHOTO: Berkshire Hathaway logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
british columbia
Eby ‘profoundly worried’ about B.C. fire season as billions prepped for contingencies
B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Eby says he is "profoundly worried" about the potentially "terrible" upcoming wildfire season, a major reason why the province has set aside $10.6 billion in contingency funds over the next three years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
travel
Booking your vacation? Consider the added cost of cancellation inflation
canada
Upcoming wildfire season could be worse than last year, federal minister says
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan responds to a question following meetings with provincial partners, Wednesday, February 21, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
british columbia
Western Canada: Alberta braces for early start of wildfire season
On Tuesday, Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen officially declared the start of wildfire season, 10 days ahead of the usual March 1 starting date. Burnt trees damaged from recent wildfires are seen in Drayton Valley, Alta., on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.