OTTAWA — The wildfire situation has changed significantly in Canada since the federal government's last update on July 9.
Eleanor Olszewski, minister of emergency management and community resilience, said during a news conference Tuesday that at the time of the last update in July, about 410,000 hectares, or about one million acres, had burned.
But since then, "wildfire activity has really grown and accelerated significantly," she said, first in northwestern Ontario and now in British Columbia.
Today, Olszewski said, "we have more than 4 million hectares that have burned across the country. And there have been numerous communities evacuated in Ontario, as well as in British Columbia, especially in southern B.C."
Olszewski reported that an estimated 23,000 people had been evacuated, and of those 23,000, about 11,000 remain under evacuation orders. She also reported that about 8,600 First Nations people have been affected by evacuations so far.
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said that since the beginning of July, 40 wildland fires have affected 38 First Nations communities across Canada. A total of 4,294 people from 25 First Nations have been evacuated, with 1,425 evacuees from 19 communities still displaced.
"Behind these numbers are people, families and communities who have been forced to flee their homes and live with the uncertainty of not knowing when they can return. Some are leaving their communities for the very first time. I can truly understand that this is very stressful. My department and I remain in close contact with communities and leadership to ensure that we're able to swiftly and effectively respond to their needs as they arise."
According to the latest statistics from the federal government as of Tuesday, there are 582 active wildfires nationally including 31 that are out of control, with full response. In total there have been 4,793 fires and 4.1 million hectares burned in 2026. Last year saw 4,584 fires by mid-August, but more hectares burned at 7.7 million.
The government said in a news release that this wildfire season has been "shaped by prolonged periods of heat, low humidity and dry conditions in several parts of the country," leading to a series of intense wildfires in Northwestern Ontario that caused significant damage and precipitating evacuations. On July 15, the federal government had received a precautionary Request for Federal Assistance from Ontario that on July 18 resulted in the evacuation of Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope) by the Canadian Armed Forces starting on July 18.
Prolonged heat and dry conditions were also cited as responsible for the wildfires in southern BC and the Okanagan. The federal government reported that on Aug. 8, following evacuation of the region surrounding Summerland and Peachland, a Request for Federal Assistance from B.C. was approved to provide shelter and accommodations for those who were displaced.
Olszewski acknowledged the country is "still in the heart of the wildfire season and that communities across the country continue to face very difficult and uncertain conditions."
She thanked the first responders, including the "more than 500 international firefighters who are here from Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Costa Rica. The majority of them are supporting firefighting operations in British Columbia."
The wildfire response has come under criticism, particularly from First Nations groups and others within Ontario.
When the federal ministers were asked if they would support calls for a national inquiry into the response, Olszewski said both Ontario and British Columbia "have a very professional and very, very robust emergency management capability." She echoed the sentiments of Gull-Masty that, in a number of these situations, "these fires were fast, and they’re unpredictable."
"We can always do better," Olszewski said, adding that part of what they always do is "look back to see what we could’ve done better this season."
She said she would have an opportunity to meet personally with her provincial and territorial counterparts at their annual in-person meeting in November. Looking back at the fire season, she said, is something "that we'll have very rich and detailed discussions about. And again, we’re always looking at ways to improve."
