The 2026 wildfire season is already shaping up to be one of the most severe in recent years. According to the US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), nearly 3.9 million acres had burned across the United States as of July 19. In Canada, more than 800 wildfires were active by mid-July, while the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) warned that above-average fire conditions are likely to persist through the rest of the season, particularly in British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Reuters reported that smoke from the Canadian wildfires also triggered air quality alerts across several US states.
Scientists say these increasingly destructive fire seasons are being amplified by climate change. According to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2026–2035, global temperatures are likely to remain at or near record highs over the coming years, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts that create favourable conditions for wildfires.
