Canada’s wildfire season off to an early start. Here’s what to expect

After the warmest winter on record, parts of Canada are seeing an early start to the wildfire season with warnings about increased fire activity over the spring period.

After the warmest winter on record, parts of Canada are seeing an early start to the wildfire season, with experts and officials warning about increased fire activity over the spring period.

Alberta Wildfire said the province’s fire season officially kicked off on Feb. 20 – earlier than the standard start date of March 1. So far, five new active wildfires have burned in Alberta, but all of them are under control.

British Columbia has seen eight new wildfires start over 9.55 hectares of land this year and all of those are out, under control or being held, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

However, the province is aware of 90 active holdover fires from the 2023 season that “have smouldered beneath the winter snow cover.” They are all considered under control.

“Officially, fire season is upon us and earlier than in past years,” said Anabela Bonada, director of climate science at the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre of Climate Adaptation.

The holdover fires over the winter period are an indication that this could be “another active wildfire season,” Bonada said in an interview with Global News.

A lack of significant snowpack over the winter months, above average temperatures and dry conditions have ignited an “earlier than normal” start to the wildfire season in B.C. and Alberta, according to Global News meteorologist Ross Hull.

“Despite some late-season snowfall over the spring it may still be difficult to make up for the lack of snow this winter, which led to these dry conditions,” Hull said.