{
  "id": 1846806,
  "title": "Wildfire season tracking to be 4th worst on record; fire risk remains elevated",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/wildfire-season-tracking-to-be-4th-worst-on-record-fire-risk-remains",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T19:28:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CityNews",
    "slug": "citynews",
    "url": "https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/08/18/wildfire-season-tracking-to-be-4th-worst-on-record-fire-risk-remains-elevated/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canada is projected to experience its fourth worst wildfire season on record, according to federal forecasters. September is expected to see well above seasonal fire risk levels in northern British Columbia, northern Quebec, and most of Labrador. To date, wildfires have scorched over 40,000 square kilometres, marking the first time in history that forest has burned for four consecutive years in Canada. This past month, a wildfire destroyed around 150 homes, barns, and other structures in the south Okanagan region of British Columbia. In July, a fire also ravaged a significant portion of Namaygoosisagagun, also known as Collins First Nation, located 250 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, merging with other fires and becoming the largest ever recorded in Ontario, covering more than 3,500 square kilometres. Despite this, the number of requests for federal assistance related to wildfires this year has significantly decreased, with only two requests received so far in 2026 compared to 11 last year. So far this year, 8,616 people from First Nations communities have been evacuated from wildfires, a decrease from the 49,000 evacuated last year. This year has seen the fourth-highest number of evacuees from First Nations communities, falling below previous year's averages. Currently, there are 580 active wildfires across the country, with 30 being out of control. While this year's wildfire season is less severe than last year's second-worst on record, forecasters anticipate a drier September across much of Canada, leading to a higher-than-usual fire risk. However, research scientist Yan Boulanger of Natural Resources Canada notes that while the forecast indicates above-average danger, significant fire growth is not considered likely, as the seasonal baseline fire danger for many regions is typically very low in September.",
  "summary": "OTTAWA — Canada is on track for its fourth worst wildfire season on record.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}