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Canadian Wildfires

Short answer: Canada's 2023 wildfire season was the largest since national records began, burning about 15 million hectares (the widely reported 18.5 million was a preliminary operational figure). That's more than double the previous record of 6.7 million hectares in 1989 and roughly 4% of Canada's forest area.

Lightning started 59% of the roughly 6,700 fires but accounted for 93% of the area burned. More than 200 communities were evacuated, and smoke degraded air quality in cities more than 1,000 km away, including on the U.S. east coast.

VideoWrite-up3 sources
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What should you know about Canadian Wildfires?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. Canada's 2023 fire season burned about 15 million hectares, more than double the 1989 record.

    DD-730-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (A record season)

  2. Lightning-caused fires accounted for 93% of the area burned in 2023.

    DD-730-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit C (Lightning's role)

Video transcript: Canadian Wildfires: Canada's Boreal Fires and the Smoke That Crosses Borders

DID YOU KNOW? Canada experiences some of the largest wildfires on earth, with millions of hectares of boreal forest burning during severe fire seasons, driven by prolonged drought, high temperatures, low humidity, and lightning strikes. In recent years, increasingly intense fire seasons have produced massive smoke plumes that travel thousands of kilometers, degrading air quality across Canada and the United States, while disrupting transportation and daily life. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 24.0s Reel ·

Video coming soonCanadian Wildfires · Instagram Reel
Canadian Wildfires: Canada's Boreal Fires and the Smoke That Crosses Borders Instagram Reel · · 24.0s

The write-up

Canada's boreal fires and the smoke that crosses borders. The 2023 season burned about 15 million hectares, a national record.

  1. Exhibit A

    A record season

    In 2023, about 15 million hectares burned in Canada, by far the most since comprehensive national reporting began around 1972. That's more than double the 1989 record of 6.7 million hectares, and Quebec, the Northwest Territories, Alberta and British Columbia each set provincial or territorial records.

  2. Exhibit B

    Preliminary vs. final

    The widely reported 18.5 million hectares came from real-time operational reports through CIFFC. The revised figure of about 15 million hectares excludes lakes and unburned patches inside fire perimeters.

  3. Exhibit C

    Lightning's role

    Lightning ignited 59% of the roughly 6,700 fires but accounted for 93% of the area burned. On June 1 alone, more than 120 fires were started by lightning in Quebec.

  4. Exhibit D

    Smoke far away

    Smoke affected major population centers more than 1,000 km from the fires, including southern Canada and the U.S. east coast. More than 200 communities were evacuated.

  5. Exhibit E

    Normal vs. extreme

    In an average year, about 2.5 million hectares burn in Canada. The 2023 season ran from mid-April to late October.

Questions people ask about Canadian Wildfires

About how many hectares burned in Canada in 2023?

About 15 million hectares, a national record.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A record season) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Natural Resources Canada: Canada's record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call

Which year held the previous record?

1989, with 6.7 million hectares.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A record season) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Natural Resources Canada: Canada's record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call

What share of 2023's burned area came from lightning fires?

93%; lightning started 59% of the fires.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Lightning's role) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Natural Resources Canada: Canada's record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call

What was the 18.5 million hectare figure?

It was an operational estimate, later revised to about 15 million.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Preliminary vs. final) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC)

How many communities were evacuated in 2023?

More than 200, some twice.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Smoke far away) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. About how many hectares burned in Canada in 2023?

    1. 1.5 million
    2. 6.7 million
    3. 15 million
    4. 150 million
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. 15 million About 15 million hectares, a national record. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A record season) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Natural Resources Canada: Canada's record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call

  2. Which year held the previous record?

    1. 1950
    2. 1989
    3. 2016
    4. 2021
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. 1989 1989, with 6.7 million hectares. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A record season) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Natural Resources Canada: Canada's record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call

  3. What share of 2023's burned area came from lightning fires?

    1. 7%
    2. 25%
    3. 59%
    4. 93%
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. 93% 93%; lightning started 59% of the fires. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Lightning's role) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Natural Resources Canada: Canada's record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call

  4. What was the 18.5 million hectare figure?

    1. A preliminary estimate
    2. The final count
    3. A US figure
    4. A 2025 figure
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. A preliminary estimate It was an operational estimate, later revised to about 15 million. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Preliminary vs. final) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications; Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC)

  5. How many communities were evacuated in 2023?

    1. About 2
    2. About 20
    3. More than 200
    4. More than 20,000
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. More than 200 More than 200, some twice. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Smoke far away) · Jain et al. (2024), Drivers and impacts of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season in Canada, Nature Communications

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Canadian Wildfires." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-730, last updated Jul 25, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/canadian-wildfires/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/canadian-wildfires/ · Last updated

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