Why Canada and the U.S. are seeing a trend of wildfires in recent years

As Los Angeles continues to battle one of the most destructive wildfires in its history, experts say the devastation signals a troubling trend fuelled by a larger climate crisis.

As Los Angeles continues to battle one of the most destructive wildfires in its history, experts say the devastation signals a troubling trend fuelled by a larger climate crisis.

Last year alone, nearly 6,000 wildfires scorched Canada, while early estimates of the damage from the current Los Angeles blaze range from US$135 billion to $150 billion — a number that is still climbing.

It’s a sobering reality, one that Gordon McBean, a climatologist and professor at Western University, says underscores the urgent need to address extreme weather events.

“The increasing number of extreme events is really a concern,” McBean told CTV News. “The World Economic Forum’s most recent statement of the biggest risks facing the globe over the next 10 years is extreme weather events.”

McBean serves as chairman of the board of trustees of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences.

He says temperatures are increasing around the world, some at faster paces than others. He cautions these events as the utmost concern and a wake-up call for what could continue in years to come.

Here’s a break down of why these wildfires are getting worse.