Why Canadian Wildfires Are Getting Worse – Fire Ecology and Forest Health

Canada’s 2025 wildfire season has already been catastrophic. The nearly 9.6 million acres already burned this year raise urgent questions. Why are wildfires increasing in Canada? And how do they impact our ecosystems?

Record-Breaking Wildfires Across Canada in 2025

In just a few months, wildfires in Canada displaced nearly 40,000 people and destroyed millions of acres of forest. Manitoba declared a province-wide state of emergency, with over 22,000 people, many from First Nations communities, forced to evacuate.

Typically, Canada sees about 2.1 million acres of forest burned each year. The 2025 total is four times the normal amount.

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

Are All Wildfires Bad? The Role of Fire in Forest Ecology

Despite their destructive appearance, wildfires play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems:

• Returning nutrients to the soil.

• Opening canopies to let sunlight reach the forest floor.

• Fire-adapted species depend on regular burn cycles to regenerate.

  
  

In Canadian boreal forests, moderate fire activity increases biodiversity, forest resilience, and soil health.

The Ecological Cost of Fire Suppression

For decades, forest management policies focused on suppressing all wildfires, but this strategy has backfired:

• Dead vegetation accumulates, creating more fuel.

• Forests become dense and less diverse.

• When fires do ignite, they’re larger and more intense.

  
  

Today, experts support a “modified wildfire response.” This type of strategy enables low-risk fires to burn naturally within designated areas, supporting forest health and reducing future hazards.

How Canada Is Shifting Our Wildfire Strategy

Canadian wildfire research increasingly supports adaptive fire management. Letting natural fires burn (when safe) helps regulate forest composition and reduce long-term wildfire risk.

This shift marks a move away from suppression and toward ecological fire management, aligning with global efforts to build climate resilience through ecosystem-based adaptation.