Trend summary
- About 220 people die in fires in Canada each year, and three in four fire deaths happen at home.
- Lithium-ion batteries are a fast-growing cause of fires in homes and apartment buildings.
- Wildfires burned a record 17.2 million hectares in 2023 and 8.3 million in 2025.
Deaths risingHome fires
About 220 fire deaths a year; Ontario lost 127 people in 2025.
New hazardsBuilding fires
About 3 in 10 structural fires are non-residential; the Old Montreal fire killed seven.
Bigger seasonsWildfires
17.2 million hectares in 2023, 8.3 million in 2025.
How this page is built. Figures come from the official statistical releases linked above; where agencies publish provisional numbers we say so, because they are revised. Canadian statistics are often collected by provinces and territories, and some national series run several years behind, so we say which area and year each figure covers. Photos are public-domain or Creative Commons images credited in each caption; file photos are illustrative and are not from the events described unless the caption says so. This page tracks trends and is not personal safety, medical, legal or financial advice.