Canada Wildfire
Canada's 2026 Wildfires Burned 4.5 million hectares, but situation has improved, government says
Ottawa: Wildfires burned about 4.5 million hectares across Canada this year and forced more than 33,750 people from their homes since April, the federal government said on Thursday.
In an end-of-season update, Public Safety Canada said the country recorded more than 5,400 wildfires.
About 8,800 of those evacuated were from First Nations communities. Several fires are still burning, though the department said the situation on the ground has improved significantly.
The season started slower than average before prolonged heat, drought and low humidity drove significant activity in several regions, the department said. Northwestern Ontario and southern British Columbia saw sustained fires that threatened communities and critical infrastructure.
The Northwest Territories accounted for more than a third of the total area burned in the country.
New aerial firefighting capacity
The season was the first in which Canada had a national aerial firefighting "surge" fleet, which the government funded in Budget 2025. Through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the government committed $316.7 million over five years to lease ten firefighting aircraft from Conair Group, Coldstream Helicopters and VIH Helicopters.
According to the department, the aircraft flew more than 2,120 hours and made over 14,400 water and fire-retardant drops. All ten were deployed during the peak of the season across nine provinces and territories.
International help and recovery
More than 560 firefighters from Mexico, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Australia helped over the summer, the government said. It also credited the Canadian Red Cross, The Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance, the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada and Team Rubicon Canada for providing shelter, first aid and mental health support alongside local responders.
Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski thanked firefighters, emergency personnel, Canadian Armed Forces members, Indigenous leaders and volunteers. "This summer showed the strength of what we can accomplish when we work together," she said.
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said it had been another challenging season for many First Nations communities and credited community leaders, first responders and volunteers for keeping people safe.
The government said it will keep working with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners on recovery, and will continue to strengthen the country's emergency management system and response capacity.
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