“Experts Warn of Worsening Wildfire Seasons”

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Our audience members have inspired this story. Feel free to send us all your inquiries regarding wildfires and air quality at ask@cbc.ca. We are here to listen.

This year has marked the second-worst wildfire season in Canadian history since 2023, as per the latest data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and Natural Resources Canada. Experts and emergency responders caution that this season is just a glimpse of the future as climate change progresses.

With Canadians adjusting to increased wildfires and deteriorating air quality, CBC News enlisted the expertise of Johanna Wagstaffe, a meteorologist, seismologist, and scientist, along with Laura Lynch, the host of CBC’s What On Earth, to address your inquiries.

Will this become an annual summer occurrence?

Yes, and the situation is likely to worsen.

“Across the globe, including Canada, we are experiencing lengthier, hotter, and drier seasons, leading to more intense wildfire seasons,” Wagstaffe explained.

The World Weather Attribution Group, comprising meteorologists, now promptly evaluates data from weather events to determine the impact of climate change. This rapid analysis aids in connecting severe wildfire seasons globally to climate change.

“The frequency of these consecutive historic seasons is rising, and while I refrain from terming it a ‘new normal’ as it continues to evolve, unfortunately, this is our current reality,” Wagstaffe emphasized.

How is the amount of smoke in the air measured?

Measuring smoke levels is more complex than one might assume.

Canada predominantly utilizes the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), offering a comprehensive view of air quality. There are monitoring stations nationwide, calibrated by experts, many of which collect air samples for analysis.

Overhead shot showing a wildfire south of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, with smoke bellowing across the sky.
Smoke rises from the Kiskatinaw River wildfire during a planned ignition operation, south of Dawson Creek, B.C., on June 7, 2025. (BC Wildfire Handout/Reuters)

These stations analyze fine particulate matter, various harmful substances, and low-level ozone in the air.

They assess metrics like parts per million of air pollutants, consolidating this data into a single index, the AQHI, to inform the public of their health risks daily. Any value exceeding 10 is deemed high risk.

What is the impact of air quality on our health?

Recent findings suggest that wildfire smoke is more detrimental to health than initially believed.

“Wildfire smoke can linger in the atmosphere for extended periods and travel vast distances,” Wagstaffe noted.

“Whether originating in British Columbia, neighboring regions, or even across the Pacific, smoke can be carried by the jet stream across the country. This was evident this summer with people in Toronto witnessing smoke from Manitoba fires.”

Smoke fills the sky over the city of Vancouver because of a nearby wildfire on Sept. 3, 2025.
Hazy conditions due to wildfire smoke obscure the skyline during an air quality warning in Vancouver on Sept. 3,

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