How Wildfires Are Speeding the Shrinking of BC’s Glaciers

Wildfires are making glaciers retreat faster, but not how you might think. Instead of the heat from the flames melting the glacier, the smoke is darkening the snow and ice. This causes the glacier surface to absorb more energy from the sun and melt faster. Kristen de Jager reports. Kristen is a graduate student at the UBC school of journalism, writing and media and is completing a practicum at The Tyee. Published June 25, 2025. https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/06/25/Wildfires-Speeding-Up-Glaciers-Shrinking-Ice-Albedo-Effect/