Home / Environment / Ontario Wildfires Shatter Records: Worst Season Ever
Ontario Wildfires Shatter Records: Worst Season Ever
21 Jul
Summary
- Over 7,250 square kilometers of forest have burned in Ontario.
- Wildfire season has surpassed the previous record set in 2021.
- Thunder Bay experienced a severe heat wave with temperatures 15 degrees above seasonal.
Ontario is grappling with its most severe wildfire season to date, with fires having incinerated over 7,250 square kilometers of forest, exceeding the record previously set in 2021. Recent data indicates that the total burned area has already reached 7,350 square kilometers, a figure expected to rise as assessments continue.
The dramatic escalation of the wildfire season is largely attributed to a recent scorching heat wave and severe thunderstorms in the Thunder Bay area, where temperatures were approximately 15 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms. This extreme weather has fueled rapid fire growth, particularly a massive 3,188-square-kilometer fire north of Thunder Bay.
As a consequence, over a dozen communities, predominantly First Nations, have been forced to evacuate. The fires have generated extensive smoke that has blanketed skies across Ontario and neighboring regions. While recent rainfall has provided some relief in northern Ontario, officials caution that the danger remains high, with forecasts indicating continued hotter and drier conditions into August.
