OTTAWA — The federal government is forecasting that high wildfire activity will continue across much of Canada this month, with the potential for the fire season to extend into September for southern B.C., the Prairies, Northwest Territories and western Ontario.
Officials say Canada is experiencing an "unprecedented" fire season, charring 134,000 square kilometres to date, more than six times the 10-year average.
Federal officials have told a wildfire briefing that as of Aug. 10 there have been 5,595 wildfires across Canada, releasing the equivalent of more than one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Hundreds of homes were destroyed by wildfires in Nova Scotia earlier this year, and about 4,000 firefighters in B.C. are currently battling hundreds of blazes, some of which have threatened communities and forced evacuations.
Federal officials say Canada has deployed 5,821 domestic firefighters and 4,990 international firefighters from 12 countries to battle wildfires across the country.
Four firefighters have died this summer fighting wildfires in B.C., Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2023.
The Canadian Press
