Annual number of wildfires in Canada

Canada: Annual number of wildfires was 2,689 wildfires in 2026. ▬ Flat

Latest (2026)
2,689 wildfires
Change on year
down 53.9%
World rank
33rd
of 248 countries
All-time high
11,202 wildfires
in 2023
All-time low
2,548 wildfires
in 2020
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Annual number of wildfires in Canada, 2012–2026

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k10.0k12.0k2012201920262012: 3.8k wildfires2013: 5.6k wildfires2014: 5.9k wildfires2015: 5.9k wildfires2016: 3.6k wildfires2017: 5.8k wildfires2018: 4.4k wildfires2019: 3.0k wildfires2020: 2.5k wildfires2021: 5.5k wildfires2022: 2.9k wildfires2023: 11.2k wildfires2024: 4.6k wildfires2025: 5.8k wildfires2026: 2.7k wildfires

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

Analysis

Canada recorded 2,689 wildfires for annual number of wildfires in 2026.

The figure is down 53.9% on the previous year and down 25.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual number of wildfires in Canada peaked at 11,202 wildfires in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2,548 wildfires, in 2020.

That places Canada 33rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 4,723 wildfires 2,956 wildfires 5,930 wildfires 8
2020s 5,043 wildfires 2,548 wildfires 11,202 wildfires 7

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 30 Sudan 3,211 wildfires compare
  2. 31 Sierra Leone 2,823 wildfires compare
  3. 32 Senegal 2,785 wildfires compare
  4. 34 Congo 2,564 wildfires compare
  5. 35 Colombia 2,524 wildfires compare
  6. 36 Uganda 2,216 wildfires compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual number of wildfires in Canada?
Annual number of wildfires in Canada was 2,689 wildfires in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual number of wildfires recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 11,202 wildfires in 2023.
What is the lowest annual number of wildfires recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 2,548 wildfires in 2020.
How does Canada rank for annual number of wildfires?
Canada ranks 33rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual number of wildfires rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
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 Annual number of wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Annual number of wildfires
Unit
wildfires
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
248 places, 3,720 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed

Number of wildfires. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.