Why Canada and the U.S. are seeing a trend of wildfires in recent years

As Los Angeles grapples with one of the most destructive wildfires in its history, experts say the devastation reflects a troubling trend fueled by the larger crisis of climate change.

Last year alone, nearly 6,000 wildfires ravaged Canada, while initial estimates of the current Los Angeles wildfires cost between $135 billion and $150 billion, and counting.

It's an alarming fact that Gordon McBain, a climatologist and professor at Western University, says underscores the urgent need to address extreme weather events.

"The increase in the number of extreme events is really worrying," he says. McBain also points out that "extreme weather events are at the top of the World Economic Forum's recent statement of the biggest risks facing the world over the next 10 years."

McBain, who chairs the Canadian Atmospheric and Climatic Science Foundation's board of trustees, says temperatures are rising around the world, and in some areas faster than others. He describes this phenomenon as a warning sign of a future that could get worse.

Why are forest fires getting worse?
global warming

According to a recent report by the European Commission's Copernicus Climate Service, the UK Met Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency, 2024 was the hottest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding the long-term threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

McBain warns that this warming has affected Canada more than the global average, with temperature changes in Canada nearly double that amount. He explains that the changes in the Canadian polar regions may be three to fourfold.

Canada also witnessed record heat waves in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic coast in June 2024. The heat was so intense that Environment Canada experts concluded that the June 17-20 heat wave was "significantly" influenced by human climate change.

A month later, Alberta's Jasper National Park saw a wildfire that destroyed 30 percent of local homes and businesses.

Officials announced that in this burning storm, the flames spread up to 100 meters above the cover of the forest trees and then moved towards the city.

The causes of forest fires and the reason for their increase

Wildfires occur when three main elements combine: natural fuels such as wood or grass, oxygen, and an ignition source such as extreme heat or human activity.

"The original source of the (Los Angeles) fire is still not entirely clear, but usually it could have started from a lightning storm or an accidental fire in someone's back yard," McBain said.

Wildfire expert Mike Flanigan says lightning will increase as the planet warms. "A warmer world means more fire," he told the Canadian News in July.

Above-average temperatures, low snowpack, dry soil and worsening drought conditions are also contributing factors, according to Natural Resources Canada.

"These conditions are caused by global warming, wind shear from mountain slopes, and ... combustible particles," McBain added.

Why is California prone to wildfires?

California's extreme climate and long dry seasons provide ideal conditions for wildfires. The state's vegetation dries out late in the season, making it easier for wildfires to spread quickly.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, also confirms these explanations. "Climate change has increased the overlap between very dry vegetation conditions late in the season and the occurrence of these winds," he says.

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