The 2024 wildfire season is about to begin, and Reuters reported that Canada is bracing for another disastrous season. Higher-than-average temperatures are forecast for spring and summer.
What's happening?
In 2023, Canada had more than 6,600 fires that burned over 15 million hectares, or about 37 million acres — roughly seven times the national average — leading to the worst wildfire season on record.
This winter was also warmer than usual, with lower snowpack levels and widespread drought. That sets the stage for a possible early start to the wildfire season and a potentially dangerous one.
"It's not setting up to be a great season, but it still depends on what the weather conditions are [this spring]," said Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist at the British Columbia River Forecast Centre.
Wildfires are nothing new for Canada. What's changed is the "frequency and intensity," said Jonathan Wilkinson, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. This is happening because of the planet's rising temperatures and El Niño conditions.
Why is Canada's 2024 wildfire season concerning?
Worsening wildfires threaten human life and homes. Last year, eight firefighters died, and 230,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Wildfires also release polluting gasses into the air that cause people to get sick, especially children, pregnant women, and people with asthma, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Last year's fires didn't just affect Canada. The smoke drifted over the northern United States as well.
Wildfires also have an economic cost. In 2022, it cost over $3 billion to combat fires in the U.S.
What is being done about wildfires?
Canada is preparing for this and future wildfire seasons. Ottawa is investing $187.2 million over the next five years in equipment and training for new community firefighters. Canada's provinces and territories are also planning to match that figure.
Homeowners are building homes that will withstand natural disasters. Other communities, such as one in Chile, have been teaching their residents how to protect their homes from fires by creating firebreaks.
In addition, students are creating solutions, including one in İstanbul in which an alarm system detects wildfires.
Another way to combat wildfires is to address their key cause: rising temperatures. Reducing the polluting gases in the atmosphere would trap less heat in the atmosphere. Check out the TCD Guide for dozens of ways you can take small or large steps to make a difference.
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