Experts warning springtime wildfires showing early signals of summer conditions
Experts say Canada should be on high alert heading into wildfire season this summer, with conditions mirroring those seen in 2023.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
An extensive number of wildfires have already been reported in the Ottawa Valley this spring following dry and warmer than average conditions.
"We do see significant and extensive drought throughout Canada, from Ontario all the way through to the west," said Dr. Chris Stockdale, a forest research extension specialist with Natural Resources Canada.
"There are signals that we are seeing that are concerning."
Last summer saw Ottawa and much of the country blanketed in smoke and suffer through poor air quality as wildfires ravaged parts of Ontario and Quebec.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre National Fire Summary reported a total of 6,623 fires nationally in 2023.
"The number of fires last year wasn't extreme, it's how big they got," says Stockdale.
"That was the extreme event."
Across Renfrew County, at least 30 wildfires have been reported in the last month.
"We've had to respond to about half a dozen already, and it's very early. Usually this time of year, we're watching the snow partially disappear," said Tim Sutcliffe, the fire chief for Laurentian Valley.
Experts say when conditions are dry, there is no preventing lightning strikes from igniting wildfires. But a majority of those fires started are from humans, from instances such as unwatched campfires or discarded cigarettes.
"In every one of the cases that we had, it was created by people," Sutcliffe told CTV News. "And I know even last summer with a big fire season, most of those fires were caused by people."
With conditions trending in a similar direction to 2023, experts are on high alert for more wildfires this year.
"I anticipate it's going to be another dry summer and it's going to be very, very busy," said Sutcliffe.
"Everybody's going to have to be very, very careful."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.