Tree cover loss from wildfires in Canada

Canada: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 4.44 million hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4.44 million hectares
Change on year
down 43.0%
World rank
1st
of 152 countries
All-time high
7.79 million hectares
in 2023
All-time low
351,275 hectares
in 2020
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss from wildfires in Canada, 2001–2024

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M2001201220242001: 562.7k hectares2002: 1.4M hectares2003: 960.0k hectares2004: 1.6M hectares2005: 1.8M hectares2006: 1.3M hectares2007: 1.1M hectares2008: 1.1M hectares2009: 810.6k hectares2010: 1.3M hectares2011: 1.4M hectares2012: 1.6M hectares2013: 2.0M hectares2014: 1.8M hectares2015: 1.9M hectares2016: 1.1M hectares2017: 1.5M hectares2018: 1.2M hectares2019: 1.3M hectares2020: 351.3k hectares2021: 1.6M hectares2022: 1.5M hectares2023: 7.8M hectares2024: 4.4M hectares

Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2024, tree cover loss from wildfires in Canada stood at 4.44 million hectares.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.0% on the previous year and up 147.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in Canada peaked at 7.79 million hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 351,275 hectares, in 2020.

That places Canada 1st out of 152 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.19 million hectares 562,662 hectares 1.80 million hectares 9
2010s 1.51 million hectares 1.10 million hectares 2.01 million hectares 10
2020s 3.13 million hectares 351,275 hectares 7.79 million hectares 5

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 2 Russia 4.20 million hectares compare
  2. 3 Brazil 2.18 million hectares compare
  3. 4 Bolivia 1.46 million hectares compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss from wildfires in Canada?
Tree cover loss from wildfires in Canada was 4.44 million hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 7.79 million hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 351,275 hectares in 2020.
How does Canada rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
Canada ranks 1st out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 147.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss from wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Tree cover loss from wildfires
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
152 places, 3,353 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

Tree cover loss due to fire with no visible human conversion or agricultural activity afterward. Fires may be started by natural causes (e.g. lightning) or may be related to human activities (accidental or deliberate).