Drought, heat raise the risk of a repeat of Canada’s record-breaking wildfires last year

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canada’s emergency preparedness minister is warning the country’s wildfire season could be more explosive than last year that unprecedented smoke conditions across much of the country and into the United States. Persistent drought and months of above-average temperatures have raised the risk of a repeat of last year’s record-breaking wildfires, prompting federal ministers to wave a red warning flag about the desperate need to address climate change. Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan says they can expect that the wildfire season will start sooner, end later and potentially be more explosive. The 2023 fire season was Canada’s worst on record, burning more than 15 million hectares and forcing more than 230,000 people from their homes.