(Ottawa) Canada experienced a less intense start to the fire season than feared, with fewer fires and burned area recorded, but the coming months could change the situation, authorities warned on Wednesday.
“The good news is that the number of fires is well below average for this time of year,” said Harjit Sajjan, the Minister of Civil Protection, adding that the total area burned “is also well below the average of the last ten years.”
But officials have already begun to see an increase in the number of fires across the country – particularly parts of the west like Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Quebec – which are at “high risk” of fire due to dry conditions.
The Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, estimates that fire activity will be “above normal in most of Canada” in the second part of June and is expected to intensify in July in Western Canada.
In 2024, Canada has stepped up its fire prevention and mitigation efforts as the new season approaches, including training more firefighters, after experiencing the worst season in its history last year.
In 2023, fires affected the country from east to west, burning more than 15 million hectares. They cost the lives of eight firefighters and prompted authorities to evacuate more than 235,000 people.
As of May, more than 11,000 people have already been forced to flee wildfires in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. These evacuation orders have now been lifted.