With the last few wildfires declared out across the region by late last week, Northwestern Ontario residents may take some solace in what could be the season’s final tally.
Statistics compiled by Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) show that while the 2025 season has been one of the busiest in memory, it hasn’t been the worst ever recorded.
“In terms of hectares burned, the 2025 fire season has exceeded the 10-year average, but it remains below the 10-year average for total number of fires,” Dryden-based agency spokeswoman Alison Bezubiak said on Monday.
The last seven wildfires being monitored so far this season were declared out on Thursday in the Red Lake district.
“Assessing and confirming full extinguishment of these large fires takes considerable time and careful observation,” Bezubiak said. “They were all called out on the same day after being deemed fully extinguished.”
According to the AFFES agency, nearly 6,000 square kilometres of grass and forested areas have been burned across the province this season, about three times the 10-year average.
In 2021, the amount that burned tallied just under 8,000 square kilometres. In both seasons, the majority of the area burned occurred in Northwestern Ontario.
By contrast, the 2024 season was remarkably light, with less than 900 square kilometres burned across the province.
As of Monday, no new fires were recorded. Wildfire season ends on Oct. 31.
