The Summer Canada Burned: The Wildfire Season That Shocked the World

Postmedia Calgary editor Zurowksi delivers a compelling account of the unprecedented wildfire season experienced by Canada in the summer of 2023. Infused with vivid photographs and text that puts readers right into the setting, her account is riveting. It presents a blow-by-blow recounting of the season as reported by the media, highlighting a chronological sequence of events as they occurred. May saw the sparks begin because of drought conditions and high temperatures. June brought smoke billowing across the country and down into the United States. July put extraordinary pressure on firefighters, and August showed the wrought devastations. Quotes by fleeing residents, firefighters, and government officials underscore the severity of the conditions as they were happening. Embedded statistics on the number of fires burning, acres burned, and wind speeds buttress the first-person anecdotes. Fallout includes the need to not only deal with the losses in terms of life, health, the environment, and the economy, but also to more effectively prevent and plan for future wildfire seasons.