The news of the year in Canada became the devastating wildfires

The editors of The Canadian Press, Canada's largest news outlet, voted for the most significant news story of the outgoing year 2023. It was the devastating fires that have been on the agenda for months, affecting the entire country. 39% of respondents voted for them.

The unusually warm and dry winter of 2022-2023 set the stage for a wildfire season that displaced 200,000 people. One of the first communities evacuated was a hamlet near Edmonton on April 29, and a month later the entire country was burning uncontrollably.

A psychological barrier for Canadians was the moment a natural disaster reached Nova Scotia, which is not normally characterized by this problem. The well-known Canadian writer John Vaillant expressed a common thought:

"If Halifax can burn, any place can burn, and that blows all our minds."

In June, it was already announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that "Canada is burning" — from east to west. Lightning set fire to forests in Quebec, and the result was 51,000 km² of devastated territory — more than ever before.

By August, up to 70% of the population of the Northwest Territories had temporarily abandoned their homes. The fire threatened to destroy even the northern capital, Yellowknife, from which 20,000 people left at one point. They were not finally able to return until three weeks later.

Finally, British Columbia experienced its worst summer. Here, nearly 400 homes were destroyed, more than 2.8 million acres burned and six firefighters died.

This past season brought Canadians many losses and many sad stories. Previously, wildfires had only been an acute problem in two regions. It was thought to mainly affect British Columbia and Alberta, but 2023, along with climate change, has made fires a national disaster.

Shocked and learning from bitter experience, Canadians are already preparing for the next season in advance by developing a firefighting plan. We can only hope that these measures actually work.