Canadian wildfires affect air quality, lumber production
This year's historic Canadian wildfires have destroyed at least 4 million hectares, or about 1% of the country's forests.
In 2023 so far, about 120,000 Canadians across six provinces and territories have been forced to evacuate due to wildfires, and while most have been able to return to their homes, thousands of others across the country remain under evacuation orders as fires continue to burn.
As of Monday afternoon, Quebec’s government alone reported 112 active fires, with a total of 450 fires occurring in 2023 so far that have burned 752,081.9 hectares (about 1.65 million acres). This total is well above 10-year average at this same date for the area – 218 fires, with 2,213.4 hectares (about 5,469 acres) of land burned.
According to Natural Resources Canada, the country hosts about 9% of the world’s forests, and has averaged around 7,300 wildfires annually for the last 25 years. Only 3% of these fires will grow to consume more than 200 hectares, but that 3% accounts for 97% of the total area burned by wildfires each year.
The current outbreak of wildfires in eastern Canada has also made headlines for its impact on air quality – with a thick haze caused by the fires engulfing skies in major cities to the south like New York City and Washington, D.C. in the United States, and north to areas of northeast Ontario.
Across all of Canada – the world’s second-largest softwood lumber producer – this year’s above-average number of wildfires have already destroyed at least 4 million hectares (about 9.9 million acres), according to Reuter’s, which is equivalent to about 1% of Canada’s total forest. This has caused some trouble for Canada’s lumber industry, as many sawmills and harvesting activities throughout Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have been forced to temporarily close and lay off workers until it’s safe to resume production.
Wildfires can temporarily cause an increase in lumber prices due to supply constraints, and Reuter’s reports the current disruptions in lumber production could slow home construction and worsen Canada’s housing shortage.