The 2025 wildfire season is on track to be Canada’s 2nd-worst on record

A helicopter drops water on the Dryden Creek Wildfire, just north of Squamish, B.C., on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin

OTTAWA — The area burned by wildfires so far this season is the second-largest on record in Canada, according to government data.

Officials with Public Safety Canada held a technical briefing this morning in Ottawa to update media outlets on the state of multiple wildfires.

They say the greatest fire danger in July is expected to be in southern British Columbia, while the Northwest Territories and Yukon will face an increased risk of wildfires.

This year’s fire season — the second worst since the 2023 wildfire season — has seen wildfires consume 3.7 million hectares, six times the area of Prince Edward Island.

The 10-year average for wildfire seasons is about 800,000 hectares.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting higher-than-normal temperatures across the country through August, especially in provinces east of Manitoba — though the risk of wildfires remains highest in central and western provinces and territories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press