Canada's 2023 Wildfire Emissions Mostly From Soil and Peat, Study Finds

Researchers from McMaster University have quantified that roughly three‑quarters of the carbon dioxide released by Canada's record 2023 wildfires originated from burning soil and peat rather than from trees. The study estimates that the 2023 fires emitted an amount of CO₂ comparable to Canada's total reported annual greenhouse‑gas emissions. The findings raise concerns about a climate feedback loop, as increasingly intense fires expose Canada's extensive underground carbon stores, especially in the carbon‑rich Hudson Bay Lowlands, the world's second‑largest peat complex. The authors note that while forest management is important, only steep cuts to global greenhouse‑gas emissions can address the core problem. The research was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters as Ontario confronts a historic 2026 fire season with blazes encroaching on the peatlands.