Underground stores of rich soil and thick peat were the main fuel behind the record emissions created during Canada’s 2023 wildfire season. Rather than standing trees and leaves, carbon locked beneath the forest floor accounted for 76 per cent of all carbon released by the blazes.

New research reveals that 76% of Canada's wildfire emissions come from soil carbon, reshaping how we think about wildfire smoke, climate change, and forest management.

Most of the carbon emitted by Canada's record 2023 wildfires came not from burning trees, but from peat and soil, according to a new study that warns a warming climate