Jul 16, 2023 - World

Canada's wildfires have now burned nearly 25 million acres

Rebecca Falconer

An aerial view of wildfire of Tatkin Lake in British Columbia, Canada, on July 10. Photo: BC Wildfire Service/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A firefighter has died after fighting a wildfire in Canada's Northwest Territories — two days after a 19-year-old firefighter was killed while responding to a fire in British Columbia, officials said Sunday.

State of play: Canada's worst wildfire season on record has seen an estimated 24.7 million acres of land burned this year, as smoke from the blazes again triggered poor air quality alerts in Canadian and U.S. cities on Sunday.

A screenshot of a tweet by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying: "I’m incredibly saddened by the news from the Northwest Territories, that another firefighter has lost their life battling wildfires. To their family, their friends, and those they were heroically serving alongside: Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts. We’re here for you." — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pays tribute to the firefighter who died from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire in the Fort Liard District of the Northwest Territories Saturday afternoon. Photo: Trudeau/Twitter

By the numbers: A total of 887 wildfires were burning across Canada — including 23 that ignited Sunday, per the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

The big picture: Studies show that climate change is leading to larger, more frequent wildfires.

A Canadian government report indicates the country has been warming twice as fast as the rest of the world.

Go deeper: Canada's wildfire crisis can only deepen as country faces record heat