How bad is the 2026 wildfire season? In Ontario, early estimates suggest it’s the worst yet — and not over

By Jordan Omstead
The Canadian Press in CTV News
July 21, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Wildfires raging in northern Ontario have pushed the province to its worst wildfire season on record. …fires have burned through more than 7,250 square kilometres of Ontario’s forest, surpassing the previous record set in 2021. The preliminary estimate is likely to be revised, but it stands as a sign of how quickly the season has worsened. The vast majority of that fire has burned in the past 10 days, on the back of severe thunderstorms and a scorching heat wave around Thunder Bay where temperatures soared to around 15 degrees above seasonal. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is making wildfire seasons longer and more intense across Canada. …Into August, the forecast suggests much of northern Ontario could remain hotter and drier than normal. While conditions may not be as intense as what the region just experienced, “a complete reprieve is not really in the forecast,” said Liam Buchart, with the Canadian Forest Service.

Read More