Climate change increases frequency of Canadian wildfire weather

A study from Imperial College London's World Weather Attribution initiative indicates that fossil fuel-driven warming has made the extreme weather conditions behind the 2026 wildfire season in Ontario and the Northwest Territories approximately twice as likely. Researchers noted that without climate change, such weather would have occurred less than once every 40 years, but now occurs every two to 15 years depending on the region.

The 2026 season saw 9.4 million acres burned in Canada, exceeding the 30-year annual average. The report highlighted that First Nation communities were disproportionately affected by evacuations and the psychological stress of displacement.

In the Northwest Territories, local medical professionals are warning of the rising public health risks. Physicians report that wildfire smoke is increasingly causing respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health issues, calling for urgent climate action and improved preparedness to mitigate the impacts of longer, hotter, and drier summers.