Canada’s Wildfire Paradox: Fewer Fires, Greater Destruction

From 2015‑24, Canadian wildfires grew longer and more destructive, a Canadian Forest Service analysis shows. While incidents fell ~10 % in that span, land burned rose 25 %, driven by a handful of mega‑fires. In July 2024 a blaze in Jasper National Park destroyed 358 of 1,113 buildings and forced 25,000 evacuations. The study, published in Canadian Journal of Forest Research, reports human‑caused fires climbed to ~40 % of ignitions, up from 30 % in 2015, linked to drier fuels. Insurance losses in the last decade jumped from $70 million a year (2005‑14) to $750 million—a 1,000 % increase—prompting insurers to raise premiums in high‑risk provinces. These trends underscore the need for revamped fire‑control strategies.