As over 900 wildfires continue to burn across Canada, prompting evacuation orders and pushing Ontario into its worst wildfire season on record, officials are renewing calls for a national wildfire strategy and the creation of a federal agency.
Canada is currently the only G7 country that does not have a national emergency agency specifically mandated to respond to wildfires. Provincial premier Doug Ford has called for a countrywide response, stating, “We need a large national fire strategy. We seem to be going through this every single year.”
The current wildfire situation follows a disastrous July that affected First Nations communities in northeastern Ontario and sent smoke into the US. Canada has experienced three consecutive severe wildfire years, with 2023 being the worst on record, burning 15 million hectares, and 2025 ranking as the second worst with 8.3 million hectares burned.
Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University, noted that Canada has never before experienced three such bad fire years in modern record. He suggested that a national wildfire strategy and federal emergency agency would enhance preparedness, not only for fires but also for floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes.
While provinces and territories are currently responsible for wildfire management, with federal support offered as needed, the Canadian ministry of emergency management and community resilience is reportedly considering “the potential creation of a federal emergency management agency.” This consideration follows a June report from the Canadian senate that also recommended Ottawa establish a federal coordinating office for wildfires and emergency response.