Canadian Wildland Fire Information System

National wildland fire situation report

Archived reports

Current as of: May 22, 2013

Current active fires

uncontrolled	controlled	modified response*
4	100	1

 

	2013 (to date)	10-yr avg (to date)	% Normal	Prescribed*	U.S.
Number	1,622	1,589	102	36	16,741
Area (ha)	14,363	60,684	24	2,681	91,997

• Data courtesy of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
• Check The Weather Network for air quality in your area.

Priority fires:

• None at this time

Interagency mobilization:

The National Preparedness Level is 1. All other provinces and territories are at level 1 or 2. Resource mobilization is typical for this time of year. Human activity accounted for 95% of this week’s fires. The United States remained at level 1 with a large fire burning in Arizona.

Weekly synopsis:

There have been 322 new fires this week, burning 2,373 ha. The number of fires burning this week is typical for this time of year while the weekly area burned is well below the 10-year average. Alberta accounted for 67% of the new fires this week, while the majority of the area burned was in Alberta and Saskatchewan (30% and 50% respectively). Seasonal fire occurrence is average, while the area burned is below the 10-year average.

Fire danger remains elevated across western Canada, while low in central and eastern Canada. Alberta and Saskatchewan are showing extreme indices throughout much of the two provinces. Northern Canada remained at low fire danger, with the exception of the south-western region of the N.W.T., which is at high fire danger.

In British Columbia, open fires are restricted in the Prince George, Kamloops and Cariboo regions. In Alberta, fire bans are in place for many counties, municipal districts, and Provincial Parks in central and southern Alberta, including the city of Edmonton.

Prognosis:

A stagnant storm system giving significant rainfall to much of British Columbia is slowly weakening and broadening, allowing significant rainfall in southern Alberta over the next few days. After this system weakens, showery conditions with seasonal temperatures remain in British Columbia and Alberta. The region from western Ontario northwestwards into Yukon stays dry through the weekend (May 25-26) as a stubborn ridge remains over the region. The western storm system finally pokes a hole in this ridge by Monday (May 27), allowing showers and thundershowers into much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. With the splitting of this ridge, dry conditions remain in Yukon and Ontario, drying occurs in Quebec on Monday (May 27), and moister air remains over the Maritimes until the end of the period.

Nationally, fire danger is expected to decrease over the coming week. The extreme conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan are expected to decrease to more moderate indices. Fire danger is forecasted to increase in the northern Prairies and into the NWT. Fir danger is expected to remain low throughout Atlantic Canada. The area to watch this week is Saskatchewan where thunderstorms may increase fire activity. With Canada at moderate fire danger, national resources should be sufficient.

Current graphs:

Note: For provinces, PC = Parks Canada

Fire links:

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Parks Canada
Prince Edward Island
Quebec - SOPFEU (Société de protection des forêts contre le feu)
Saskatchewan
Yukon Territory
Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC)
FireSmart
National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)