Blog Final - Canada

 Ross Frank 

Earth Catastrophes and Disasters

December 11, 2025

    One of the hazards that I believe is the most dangerous to Canada is wildfires. The frequency of these hazards is continuing to increase each year, in part due to climate change.  In 2023 alone, 230,000 people were evacuated in Canada due to the dangers of forest fires. These fires claimed 15 million hectares (ha) of forest in Canada. One hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters or 2.471 acres (Britannica). That is about the same size as putting two football fields right next to each other. According to the Canadian Government, these fires are due to increased levels of heat across the country and decreased levels of moisture. Less precipitation in a year can dry out the soil and make it more susceptible to fires. These are all known effects of climate change. These fires can start in numerous ways. It doesn't matter how it starts, but as long as it has oxygen, fuel, and energy, the fire will continue to grow. Fuel for the fire is anything dry on the ground that will burn. This is why lower levels of precipitation are so dangerous for people around these fires. The increasing frequency due to climate change is the reason I am addressing this as one of the most dangerous hazards 

    In Canada, wildfires are so important that I think everyone should pay attention to them. Wildfires are very hard to mitigate because of the number of things that appear naturally that are also able to fuel fires. An easy thing to do is to restrict how campfires and other small fires like that can be used. Just taking that out of the equation isn't a solution for the big problem, but every little bit helps when trying to reduce the risk of starting a fire. An even bigger part of the equation is the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). The CIFFC operates within Canada on the mitigation, preparedness, and overall readiness in the event of a forest fire. Some mitigation practices used by the CIFFC are prescribed burns and the growth/elimination of certain plants. What is a prescribed burn? A prescribed burn is, "Prescribed burning is the deliberate and planned use of fire to a specific land area." (Canadian Council of Forest Ministers). What these prescribed burns do is make the land more resilient to natural forest fires. Taking out the bad plants that can increase the intensity of a natural forest fire. Another part of the CIFFC's mitigation efforts is informing the public of the dangers of these fires. The goal is to have a unified country that is all putting their efforts against these fires in the same ways, so they work together. The thought is that the more people who know the dangers and how to prevent these tragic events, will make it safer for everyone. 

    If I were able to pick a spot to start these mitigation efforts, I would begin in Saskatchewan and Alberta. According to Natural Resources Canada's Interactive Fire Map, Alberta and Saskatchewan have the highest density of past fires in the country. In Saskatchewan, there is a huge forest covering most of the northern part of the province. This is the Taiga Forest, and it covers 410,000 km² (101 million acres). It is bigger than the country of Germany and is about 7% of all forest land in Canada. This is probably a very risky area due to the amount of potential fuel that is located in and around the forest. The Saskatchewan authorities have already placed fire bans in the area because they have found that most of the fires have been caused by human activity. This still leaves all of the dry leaves and shrubs in the forest to fuel a natural forest fire. In Alberta, there is another very large forest called the Boreal Forest. It is about 381,046 KM, which covers about 58% of all of Alberta. With forests this big, it makes sense that these two provinces have the highest rate of fires in Canada. I would start doing prescribed burns around the areas that are most frequently visited by people. Since, a lot of forest fires are started by human activity, making it so there is less fuel where people are will dampen the effect of the fire if there is ever an accident. Also, educating the authorities that cover these areas will help out as well. Making sure that they know the best strategies to fight these fires before they even happen will save lives and damage. 

    If I were to build a house to avoid a fire in Canada, I would choose to live in a city. I would choose to live in Toronto. Toronto is one of the farthest away from any fire history, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System | Interactive map. I would say that the part of the reasons there haven't been fires in this area is because it is a highly developed area. Since the area is highly developed, that means that there is less natural fuel for these fires to feed off of. The materials used in the buildings in the surrounding area are not as flammable compared to the dry shrubs and leaves that are found naturally in the forests. Obviously, there are still fires that happen in cities and towns, but because of the lack of flammable materials in modern buildings and the fast response times of fire departments, they do not spread very far.

     In conclusion, wildfires are becoming a larger and larger threat across Canada, and the steady rise in heat and dryness means this danger isn’t going away anytime soon. The numbers show how serious the problem has become, but the real issue is how quickly fires can grow when the landscape is packed with dry fuel and the weather keeps pushing conditions in the wrong direction. Strong mitigation efforts, public awareness, and smart planning matter more than ever. Especially in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan, where forests stretch for hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. Agencies such as the CIFFC are already working to strengthen the country’s preparedness, but communities and individuals play a big role too. Paying attention to fire bans, understanding how easily fires can start, and supporting long-term forest management can make a real difference. If Canada wants to reduce the damage these fires cause, everyone has to treat them like the national hazard they are and work together to stay ahead of the risk.

Sources:

Canada's 10 worst natural disasters totaled C$30 billion in annual insured losses 

Forest fires - Natural Resources Canada

https://www.britannica.com/science/hectare  

Canadian Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation Strategy: Taking Action Together - NRCan Open S&T Repository 

Canadian Wildland Fire Information System | Interactive map 

3 Types of Forests in Saskatchewan | NatureNibble 

Boreal Forest - Alberta Wilderness Association 

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