A new study reveals a concerning increase in high-severity fire days across Canada from 1981 to 2020, indicating a more challenging fire season under climate change. The study highlights an average of two additional days conducive to high-severity fires per year between 2000 and 2020 compared to the previous two decades. This trend suggests that Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfire season may be a glimpse into the future. The study identifies dry fuel as the primary driver of fire severity, while weather conditions, particularly in northern regions, play a more significant role.
, a study published Thursday said, underlining what the authors described as a pressing need to proactively mitigate the “increased threat posed by climate change .”
Co-author Xianli Wang, a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, says there were on average an additional two days conducive to high-severity fires in 2000 to 2020, compared to the previous two decades. In some areas, it was closer to five days. When it comes to the geographic distribution of severe wildfire, Wang said the findings suggest Canada’s record-breaking 2023 season was not an aberration, but a “glimpse into the future.”The study suggests the major environmental driver of fire severity was dry fuel, such as twigs and leaves, while the effect of weather – such as hot, dry and windy conditions – was more pronounced in northern regions.
The greatest increase in burn severity days was recorded in an area covering northern Quebec and an area covering Northwest Territories, northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia.
Climate Change Wildfires Canada Fire Season Environmental Impact
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