Wildfire damage nearly triples average
More than 700 fires burned 441,000 hectares of forest between April and October — nearly three times as many hectares as the 10-year average, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
Burning not always bad
Forest fires can be scary, but they are inevitable and much-needed in managing and maintaining forest ecosystems.
Climate change and cervids
How Ontario's cervids - white-tailed deer, moose, elk and caribou - respond to a rapidly changing climate is of great interest to hunters.
Record number of wildfires burned
Drought and dry weather led to a record 1,198 wildfires this year, including a 200,000-hectare blaze — one of the largest in Ontario history.
No immediate outdoor fire ban in 2021
Ontario won’t immediately ban outdoor fires in much of the province this year like it did for more than a month last year, but that degree of regulation is still possible.
Forest fire fighting budget increased
The province has increased base funding for emergency forest fire fighting by $30.2 million and is ensuring safety measures are in place to protect fire rangers during the pandemic.
Fewer fires burned nearly same amount of land
There were fewer forest fires in Ontario this year, but they burned nearly the same amount of landscape as they did in 2018, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).