What’s next for Canada’s wildfire season? Ottawa to share update

CANADA Canadian wildfire season has “accelerated significantly”: officials By Adriana Fallico Global News Posted August 18, 2026 10:36 am Updated August 18, 2026 4:19 pm 2 min read Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski, and Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty, provided an update on the 2026 Canadian wildfire season on Tuesday, as intense fires continue to burn across the country. Since the last update on July 9, Olszewski says “wildfire activity has really grown and accelerated significantly,” with more than 4 million hectares of land affected across the country. LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE Officials say wildfire activity in Canada “has really grown and accelerated significantly” as over four million hectares have been burned across the country. “We know that we’re still in the heart of the wildfire season and that some communities across the country face really difficult and sometimes uncertain conditions,” Emergency Preparedness Minister Eleanor Olszewski said in a press conference Tuesday. There are currently 582 active wildfires burning across Canada, 31 of which are labelled as out of control, according to Natural Resources Canada. On a July 9 update, officials said that although it is a “challenging” year, the 2026 wildfire season has “not reached the scale seen in 2025.” More than 8.3 million hectares were burned in 2025. Olszewski said that wildfire activity “really intensified in the month of July,” and that “across the country, the wildfire season remains serious.” STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT 2:00 Canada falling behind on climate action despite years of warning, new report finds Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. Officials previously warned on May 28 that “significant wildfire activity” was expected in B.C. in the federal government’s wildfire season preparedness and outlook for 2026 at the start of the season. Get daily Ottawa news Get daily Ottawa news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. SIGN UP FOR DAILY OTTAWA NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. Summerland residents in British Columbia are starting to walk…