Climate Change, Lightning, and Indigenous Fire Knowledge: Canada’s Future of Wildfire Management

Climate change in Canada is reshaping the patterns of wildfires. From longer fire seasons to more lightning-caused ignitions, the science is clear. Canada must evolve wildfire management strategies to address a hotter, drier future.

How Climate Change Fuels Wildfires in Canada

Rising temperatures drive larger, more frequent wildfires across Canada. Here’s what’s changing:

• Hotter weather dries out forests, making them more flammable.

• Longer fire seasons extend the risk window.

• Drier conditions lower the water table and intensify fire behaviour.

  
  

According to Canadian wildfire researchers, this trend could double wildfire-related carbon emissions by 2100.

For more details, check out the in-depth article by Lark Researcher Clara Marinozzi, “Raging Wildfires across Canada and Ties to Climate Change.”

More Lightning, More Fires

Climate change doesn’t just make fires worse. It also creates more ignition events. Warmer air holds more moisture and energy, leading to increased lightning strikes.

• Lightning starts around half of wildfires in Canada.

• These fires often grow larger because they start in remote, hard-to-access areas.

  
  

This growing challenge drives a need for advanced wildfire prediction and remote monitoring technologies.

Indigenous Fire Management in Canada: A Vital Solution

For generations, Indigenous communities in Canada practiced cultural burning by setting small, controlled fires to manage landscapes.

Benefits of Indigenous fire stewardship include:

• Reduced buildup of combustible material

• Improved forest health and diversity

• Stronger ecosystem resilience to climate stress

But colonial policies suppressed these practices. Today, wildfire researchers and policymakers are working to integrate Traditional Indigenous Knowledge into Canada’s modern fire management strategies.

Using Technology and Ecology to Adapt

Canadian climate adaptation research is also focused on innovation:

• Remote sensing and AI help track fire spread and assess risks.

• Fuel management techniques are tailored to specific forest types.

• Reforestation efforts now emphasize diverse, mixed-species forests, which are less flammable than traditional timber plantations.

  
  

Building Climate Resilience Through Fire

To address climate change in Canada, wildfire management must move beyond suppression toward ecosystem-based adaptation. This includes:

• Embracing Indigenous fire practices

• Rebalancing forest composition

• Investing in predictive tools and early response

  
  

By blending climate science, technology, and traditional knowledge, Canada can prepare for the realities of a warming world and reduce the destruction of future wildfire seasons.