2023 Canadian wildfires
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Beginning in March 2023, and with increased intensity starting in June, Canada was affected by a record-setting series of wildfires. All 13 provinces and territories were affected, with large fires in Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. The 2023 wildfire season had the most area burned in Canada's recorded history, surpassing the 1989, 1995, and 2014 fire seasons,[5][2] as well as in recorded North American history, surpassing the 2020 Western US wildfire season.[6][7]
Canadian wildfires of 2023 | |
---|---|
Date(s) | March 1, 2023—November 2023 |
Location | Canada (all 13 provinces and territories)[1] and subsequent spillover into the Northern United States |
Statistics | |
Total fires | 6,551[2] (as of October 6, 2023) |
Total area | 18.496 million ha (45.70 million acres)[2] (as of October 6, 2023) |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 6[3] |
Evacuated | 155,856 people[4] (as of July 7, 2023) |
Map | |
As of October 6, 6,551 fires had burned 184,961 square kilometres (71,414 sq mi),[2] about 5% of the entire forest area of Canada,[8] and more than six times the long-term average of 27,300 square kilometres (10,541 sq mi) for that time of the year.[1] As of mid-October, the total area burnt was more than 2.5 times the previous record.[9] Six people died due to the wildfires, and as of July, approximately 150,000 people had been evacuated.[4] International aid helped reduce the impact of the fires.[10][11]
Smoke emitted from the wildfires caused air quality alerts and evacuations in Canada and the United States.[12] In late June, the smoke crossed the Atlantic Ocean, reaching Europe.[13][14] Many of the largest fires were under control by July, including fires which had funnelled smoke into the Eastern Seaboard. However, significant fires continued well into the fall season, with several major fires breaking out in September.[15] Moderate-to-severe drought conditions from British Columbia to northern Ontario also continued into fall.[16]