Average area burnt per wildfire in Canada

Canada: Average area burnt per wildfire was 807.13 hectares in 2026. ▲ Rising

Latest (2026)
807.13 hectares
Change on year
down 36.1%
World rank
3rd
of 181 countries
All-time high
1,330 hectares
in 2023
All-time low
240.18 hectares
in 2020
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Average area burnt per wildfire in Canada, 2012–2026

2505007501.0k1.2k2012201920262012: 569.5 hectares2013: 699.4 hectares2014: 738.2 hectares2015: 697.3 hectares2016: 432.7 hectares2017: 703 hectares2018: 659.5 hectares2019: 710.3 hectares2020: 240.2 hectares2021: 813.3 hectares2022: 595.8 hectares2023: 1.3k hectares2024: 1.1k hectares2025: 1.3k hectares2026: 807.1 hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2026, average area burnt per wildfire in Canada stood at 807.13 hectares.

The figure is down 36.1% on the previous year and up 86.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average area burnt per wildfire in Canada peaked at 1,330 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 240.18 hectares, in 2020.

Canada ranks 3rd of 181 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 651.25 hectares 432.72 hectares 738.24 hectares 8
2020s 881.08 hectares 240.18 hectares 1,330 hectares 7

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 1 Reunion 1,369 hectares compare
  2. 2 Greece 851.39 hectares compare
  3. 4 Iceland 793.25 hectares compare
  4. 5 Cyprus 654.5 hectares compare
  5. 6 Botswana 609.96 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 181 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is average area burnt per wildfire in Canada?
Average area burnt per wildfire in Canada was 807.13 hectares in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 1,330 hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 240.18 hectares in 2020.
How does Canada rank for average area burnt per wildfire?
Canada ranks 3rd out of 181 countries with data for 2026.
Is average area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 86.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average area burnt per wildfire. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Average area burnt per wildfire
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
181 places, 2,589 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed

The average area burnt per wildfire, in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.