Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Canada
Canada: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 114,241 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Canada, 2002–2024
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Canada is 114,241 hectares, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 79.9% on the previous year and down 31.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Canada peaked at 568,502 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 11,592 hectares, in 2020.
That places Canada 52nd out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66,338 hectares | 23,806 hectares | 99,215 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 96,013 hectares | 25,630 hectares | 178,982 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 169,207 hectares | 11,592 hectares | 568,502 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Spring temperature anomalies -4.58 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.7 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 2.12 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.47 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -2.57 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 140.97 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Canada?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Canada was 114,241 hectares in 2024, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 568,502 hectares in 2023.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,592 hectares in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Canada ranks 52nd out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Area burned by wildfires by land cover type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.