Climate Change Doubles Likelihood of Canada's Wildfires, Scientists Say

The extreme spate of wildfires that ravaged parts of Canada and the US this year, resulting in fatalities, evacuations, and toxic smoke, was made at least twice as likely by the human-caused climate crisis, according to scientists. The 2023 Canadian wildfire season, the largest and most devastating on record, burned an area larger than Greece. An attribution study found that the climate crisis doubled the chances of fire-prone weather conditions occurring and made them 20% more intense. The study also highlighted that increasing temperatures are creating conditions for larger and longer-lasting wildfires, emphasizing the urgent need to address the burning of fossil fuels.