OTTAWA – Canada is experiencing its fourth worst wildfire season on record, according to federal forecasters during a regular fire briefing held in Ottawa on Tuesday. The fire risk for September is projected to significantly exceed seasonal averages in northern British Columbia, northern Quebec, and most of Labrador.

As of now, wildfires have consumed over 40,000 square kilometers of land, an area comparable to the size of Nova Scotia. This marks the unprecedented fourth consecutive year of forest fires in Canada, contributing to a concerning trend in the country's environmental health.

Recently, wildfires have had devastating local impacts. Earlier this month, a wildfire destroyed around 150 homes, barns, and other structures in the south Okanagan region of British Columbia. In July, a separate fire devastated much of Namaygoosisagagun, also known as Collins First Nation, which lies approximately 250 kilometers north of Thunder Bay. This particular fire merged with others in the region, ultimately becoming the largest wildfire ever recorded in Ontario, covering more than 3,500 square kilometers.

Interestingly, despite the severity of the wildfire season, the number of requests for federal assistance related to wildfires has dropped significantly this year. Craig Oldham, the director general with Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, reported that there were only two wildfire-related requests for assistance received to date in 2026, in contrast to 11 requests reported last year.

To date, approximately 8,616 individuals from First Nations communities across Canada have been evacuated due to wildfires, a significant decrease from the 49,000 evacuees recorded the previous year. Natasha Klink, the operations manager of the emergency management branch at Indigenous Services Canada, noted that this year marks the fourth-highest number of evacuations from First Nations communities since 2023, and the trend suggests that the number of evacuees may align closely with figures from 2024.

As of the latest report, there are currently 580 active wildfires across Canada, with 30 of these classified as out of control. Despite this, Oldham emphasized that this year's wildfire season is less severe than that of 2025, which was noted as the second worst season on record. Nevertheless, forecasters are expecting a drier September across much of Canada, excluding Alberta and Saskatchewan, which raises concerns about increased fire risk.

Yan Boulanger, a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada, cautioned that although the seasonal baseline fire danger is typically very low in September, the forecast indicates an above-average fire danger for many regions. He noted that significant fire growth is not anticipated, despite the heightened risk.

The most severe wildfire season on record took place in 2023, during which over 170,000 square kilometers burned—an area more than double the size of New Brunswick. The current situation underscores the ongoing challenges related to wildfires in Canada and their implications for environmental, community, and emergency management practices.