Quebec’s calm wildfire season offers relief, but smoke from massive Prairie fires continues to affect air quality across southern cities.
Quebec Sees Clear Skies Amid Distant Flames
While Quebec’s forests remain largely untouched by wildfire this summer, the province has been shrouded in smoke from fires burning thousands of kilometres away. This past weekend, southern Quebec—including Montreal—was placed under an air quality advisory, despite experiencing one of its calmest fire seasons in a decade.
Smoke Source Lies in the Prairies
The haze blanketing Quebec wasn’t local. Instead, it was driven by large-scale wildfires currently active in the Prairie provinces, western Ontario, and British Columbia. These distant fires, some surpassing 500,000 hectares in size, have been burning since May and continue to release smoke into the atmosphere.
Yan Boulanger, a forest ecology research scientist at Natural Resources Canada, described the current fire activity as “exceptional,” noting that high temperatures and dry conditions out west have allowed several massive fires to persist.
Worst Fire Streak in Canadian History
This year marks the third consecutive year of severe wildfire activity across Canada. As of early August, 6.5 million hectares have burned—outpacing last year’s 5.3 million and continuing a trend that began with the record-breaking 16 million hectares lost in 2023.
“The three most active wildfire seasons since 1995 have all occurred between 2023 and 2025,” said Boulanger, calling the situation unprecedented in modern Canadian history.
Wind Carries Smoke Across Provinces
The smoke that blanketed Montreal and surrounding areas was transported by prevailing winds, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Spokesperson Alexandra Cournoyer explained that wildfire smoke particles can linger in the upper atmosphere and travel great distances, affecting provinces far from the source.
Montreal has now spent five days under air quality advisories in 2025, compared to zero in 2024. In 2023, the city recorded 19 advisory days, a number linked to Quebec’s own devastating wildfire season that year.
A Welcome Pause in Quebec’s Wildfire Activity
According to SOPFEU, Quebec’s wildfire agency, the province has seen fewer than five active wildfires this week, all of them small. Regions like Mauricie, Montérégie, and Outaouais reported isolated incidents, with only minor monitoring in Côte-Nord.
So far in 2025, Quebec has recorded about 170 fires—well below its 10-year average and drastically lower than last year’s 4.5 million hectares burned. This season has seen just 3,000 hectares affected.
“It has been a rather quiet season,” said SOPFEU spokesperson Mélanie Morin, attributing the calm to frequent rainfall and cooler conditions.
Lessons From a Fiery Future
Experts warn that while Quebec enjoys a quieter season, the overall national trend signals a shifting climate reality. Human-caused fires are declining, but weather-driven wildfire events are on the rise.
“We have to learn to live in a world where fire will be much more prevalent,” Boulanger said, calling for improvements in infrastructure, evacuation protocols, and public health readiness as wildfire smoke becomes a regular feature of summer in Canada.
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