Canada’s Forest Fire Crisis

As of June 15, 2025, 38,000 square kilometers had been burned in Canada, with tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate as fires raged out of control in British Columbia and elsewhere. Smoke from the fires has spread to the Midwest and even to Europe, where PM2.5 concentrations have increased tenfold in cities like Edmonton and respiratory illnesses have surged. High temperatures and drought caused by climate change have increased the flammability of coniferous forests, and human factors (such as illegal logging) have made the fires difficult to control. The Canadian military has scrambled military aircraft to relocate victims, but resettlement efforts are challenged by shortages of supplies and poor transportation.