Mid-August Update

Wildfires in Canada, 2025

Across Canada, over 715 wildfires were burning as of August 13, 2025. At least 155 of them were deemed out of control. As of this year, 7.7 million hectares of forest have burned, the second largest area since the Canadian government agencies have been keeping tabs, with the worst year being 2023 with 15 million hectares of land burned. The burned forests across the country amount to 77,000 square kilometres, equivalent to the area of New Brunswick. This summer, Canada has been experiencing some of the most destructive wildfires in recent decades.

Extent of wildfires as of August 19. Red circles showing the ones still out of control, orange circles showing the ones being held and green circles the ones under control.

Although the number of fires is in line with the average over the last 10 years (see figure 1), the extent of the areas burned is much greater than the 10-year average (see figure 2). This is in part due to a severe lack of precipitation and heat waves across most of the country that contribute to the fast propagation of flames (see figure 3). Another reason is that Canada still doesn't have an early warning satellite system that would enable provincial and territorial fire protection agencies to send firefighting crews the moment fires are detected to immediately minimize their spread.[1]

Figure 1: 2025 seasonal fire occurrence in Canada, in weeks since the start of the fire season
(Week 1: April 30, 2025)

Figure 2: 2025 seasonal area burned in Canada, in weeks since the start of the fire season
(Week 1: April 30, 2025)

Figure 3: The Drought Code, a component of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System. It is a numeric rating of the average moisture content of deep, compact organic layers. This code is a useful indicator of seasonal drought effects on forest fuels and the amount of smoldering in deep duff layers (the organic material that accumulates are around the base of trees) and large logs.

Wildfire Situation from Atlantic to Pacific

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the wildfire burning close to Kingston (Adam's Cove area) covers approximately 6,370 hectares, and is currently considered out of control. This is also the case at Martin Lake, where the fire covers approximately 290 hectares, and at Paddy's Pond (near the town of Paradise), where the burned area is estimated at 212 hectares. At a briefing in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan said that six water bombers, including two from Ontario, are working to contain the flames at different parts of the province. A helicopter is being sent from Alberta.

In Nova Scotia, which has banned most summertime activities in wooded areas, Annapolis County residents in the Godfrey Lake-Long Lake area have been placed on alert as the 1,977 hectare wildfire there is out of control and expanding. A large ground force of more than 200 firefighters -- including 77 from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, 120 local firefighters, 20 from Ontario and five from Prince Edward Island -- were on the scene trying to save homes on August 17. Firefighters in Halifax, meanwhile, battled a conflagration that appeared to have mostly stabilized by late August 13, as the province responded to at least 16 wildfires that began on August 12.

In New Brunswick, residents in Moncton have been told that the evacuation advisory was lifted as the Pit Fire, also called the Irishtown fire, was contained at 45 hectares. However, firefighters the Oldfield Road wildfire, 15 kilometres north of Miramichi, have not been able to contain it. The fire has grown to over 1,400 hectares. New Brunswick Natural Resources Minister John Herron said the conditions have been difficult for those on the front line. Over the past few days, three firefighters have been treated in hospital for heat exhaustion. The province was reporting 133 firefighters deployed as of August 13. He added that the province requested 60 additional firefighters from other jurisdictions, and so far 30 out-of-province firefighters have been secured.

Major wildfires have been largely spreading in the Prairies, where Manitoba has extended its second province-wide state of emergency this summer. On July 10, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew had to reinstate a province-wide state of emergency after it was lifted on June 23.

In Saskatchewan, large swaths of the province remain evacuated. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe declared a province-wide state of emergency on May 29 and has maintained it ever since because of the huge number of out of control wildfires, 16 as of August 23, with 45 active wildfires. Saskatchewan is the province with the largest burned area, with close to 2.9 million hectares of the boreal forest gone up in smoke since the beginning of the year.

Wildfires have occurred in May, June, July and August in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan where Indigenous communities reside. Therefore it is they who have suffered the most.

The largest fire in the Prairies is the Shoe fire, in Saskatchewan, where 565,000 hectares of boreal forest have been burning since May 7. This led to multiple communities being evacuated at the end of May. The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation had an evacuation order for more than 1,800 residents of Pelican Narrows, 400 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. In the northern community of Hall Lake, more than 380 people from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band had to leave.

East Trout Lake Wildfire, Saskatchewan.

Alberta has recorded 986 wildfires in 2025, with 48 still active. In comparison, the entire 2024 season saw 1,094 wildfires. The record was the 2021 season with a peak of 1,132 wildfires. Close to 687,000 hectares have been consumed by wildfires. One fire located in the northwest part of the province is out of control and has already consumed 4,300 hectares in an area made up of very dry timber.

In British Columbia, a wildfire is burning out of control near Mount Underwood on Vancouver Island, 15-20 kilometres south of Port Alberni. It has already consumed more than 3,600 hectares of forest. Many out of control wildfires are also present in the northeastern part of the province, in the Prince George-Fort Nelson area. The biggest one, located 75 kilometres northeast of Fort Nelson, has burned more than 280,000 hectares of woodland. Another major wildfire located about 50 kilometres northeast of Prince George, near Redfern-Keily Provincial Park, was discovered on May 19 and continues to burn, but is considered under control. It has already consumed close to 150,000 hectares of timber. Other wildfires are active in the Cariboo and Kelowna regions.

Indigenous Peoples Left to Fend for Themselves

On the website of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), under the heading "Wildfire evacuation information for Indigenous peoples," it is stated that since April 2025, there have been "119 wildland fires, resulting in 95 First Nations" impacted and members of 73 First Nations evacuated. As of August 25, there are: "11 First Nations impacted by wildland fires, one in British Columbia, one in Saskatchewan, eight in Manitoba and one" in the Atlantic provinces. There have been "22 First Nations evacuated due to the impacts of wildland fires, five in Alberta, seven in Saskatchewan and 10 in Manitoba." It says that currently "8,240 individuals evacuated from First Nations due to wildland fires."[2] The ISC website ends with instructions in case of an "event of a possible emergency evacuation" such as "When to evacuate" and "Support for evacuees." ISC seems to forget that such a webpage is useless to Indigenous communities, as they do not have proper access to internet and cellular services. These services are presently dominated by large private interests nation-wide whose aim is maximizing profits, not ensuring internet access, which is a modern necessity of life, including for public safety during wildfire season.

In a report published in 2023 by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) entitled "The 'Digital Gap' is growing at a more rapid rate amongst First Nations," the AFN informs that only "20 communities have the three infrastructure elements of fibre backbone, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) last mile and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Mobility services in place or have funds to put in place." The first report goes to say that "457 First Nation communities across Canada are still without adequate high-speed internet and 363 First Nation communities lack both broadband internet and standard cellular services." The report notes that "Essential services like virtual schooling, online businesses, and digital health care depend on reliable telecommunications infrastructure."[3] One could add "emergency services" as is the case with the 2025 wildfires.

The second report entitled "Prioritization and Implementation Plan," includes "an estimate on the previous report's investment needs and quantifies how the First Nations infrastructure gap will continue to grow by the year 2040 due to Government of Canada inaction and insufficient funding."[4]

International Assistance

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) reports a national preparedness level of 5, meaning that all human and material resources available in Canada are being used on the ground to fight forest fires. Certain provinces such as New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are either at level 5 or 4, thus indicating that the province's resources to fight the forest fires is inadequate and needs assistance from other provinces or countries. (See figure 4)

Figure 4: Wildfire Preparedness Level by province and territory. A level 5 (red) means that the provincial/territorial agency does not have adequate resources and is therefore unable to assist other agencies. A level 4 (dark orange) means that the provincial/territorial agency is requesting additional resources and its ability to assist other agencies is very limited.

During the 2025 season, Canada has had to call on other countries for assistance, especially for additional firefighters, who are the most qualified needed personnel. The U.S. Forest Service reported last month that more than 600 U.S. firefighters have traveled to Canada this summer to help battle the wildfires, mostly in the prairie provinces and BC. Officials at the CIFFC said crews have also flown in from Mexico, Chile and Australia, among other countries.

In the Parliamentary Committee Notes on the 2023 Canadian Wildfires,[5] the worst season on record, it was noted that close to 230,000 people were evacuated from their homes during the 2023 fire season, while "support by the federal government and NGOs has been provided to 73 First Nations communities," revealing the extent at which Indigenous communities are the most affected by wildfires. In his presentation before the Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN) at that time, Harjit Sajjan, then President of the King's Privy Council of Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, reminded his audience that while over 16,000 firefighters helped fight the 2023 wildfires, assisted by over 5,000 international firefighters, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel were also called upon.

Still, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness didn't see the need to have military personnel and equipment trained and deployed on a permanent basis in a wildfire situation. Sajjan said at that time in his presentation to the NDDN that the issue was "to extend the funding towards a humanitarian workforce" made out of civilians, thus "ultimately, Mr. Chair, reducing the reliance on the Canadian Armed Forces in disaster response." Sajjan's notion of public security seems in tune with Mark Carney's government vision of "national security": project Canada's military personnel and equipment on the international scene that will answer the U.S./NATO military ambitions, such as for the Indo-Pacific region, while leaving it up to provincial and territorial civil protection agencies to deal with recurring annual wildfires.

In its review of the 2023 wildfire season in Canada, the CIFFC concluded that "the needs anticipated will undoubtedly increase with the changing climate." A few years ago, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers held a series of dialogues aimed at devising a national wildland fire prevention and mitigation strategy. A 2022 report already noted that participants offered a consistent message: "Stable investment on a significant scale" was needed to address wildfires in the vast boreal forest of Canada.

All these reports have been handed in to the federal government authorities which still refuse to put forward an effective nationwide plan to deal with the needed human resources and modern equipment to adequately fight wildfires all across the country. It seems the Carney government has something else in mind when it comes to the critical infrastructure needed in this country. It thinks that by doling out money when emergency situations arrive such as this year's wildfires, this will somehow give Canadians a sense that their security is being looked after.

All of this begs the question: In 2025, why are provincial wildfire protection agencies still lacking the necessary firefighting personnel and aircraft equipment, as witnessed again this season?

Notes

1. See "Government Irresponsibility in Response to Climate Crisis and Private Interests," Workers' Forum, August 23, 2023

2. "Wildfire evacuation information for Indigenous peoples," Indigenous Services Canada

3. "Closing the Infrastructure Gap 2030 -- The National Cost Estimate," Indigenous Services Canada, March 2023, page 16

4. "Closing the Infrastructure Gap by 2030 -- The Prioritization and Implementation Plan," Indigenous Services Canada and Assembly of First Nations, July 2023

5. "Parliamentary Committee Notes: Canadian Wildfires," Public Safety Canada, November 23, 2023

(With Information from the Government of Canada, Wildfire Provincial Agencies, CIFFC, Assembly of First Nations, CBC, Globe and Mail)

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This article was published in

Volume 55 Number 7 - July-August 2025

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2025/Articles/M550076.HTM

Website:  www.cpcml.ca   Email:  editor@cpcml.ca