National Wildland Fire Situation Report

National Wildland Fire Situation Report

Archived reports

Current as of: June 12, 2019

• Data courtesy of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
• Check the Air Quality Health Index for air quality in your area.

Priority fires

There are 4 priority fires in Alberta: The Chuckegg Creek Wildfire HWF-042 (269,648 ha) is currently burning out of control approximately 3 km SW of the Town of High Level. Previously evacuated communities of High Level, Mackenzie County, Bushe River, Chateh, and Meander River have been approved for re-entry. Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement remain under evacuation order.

The Battle Wildfire Complex (PWF-052) (55,179 ha) approximately 10 km NW of Manning. The PWF-052 fire remains burning out of control in the Notikewin area, approximately 10 km west of the Town of Manning.

The McMillan Wildfire Complex (SWF-049) (262,622 ha) approximately 22km NE of the junction of Highway 88 and Highway 754 is currently listed as out of control. On June 12, mandatory evacuation order have been lifted for Wabasca-Desmarais, Chipewyan Lake Village, Bigstone Cree First Nation and Sandy Lake.

The Jackpot Creek Wildfire (HWF-066) (28,167 ha) approximately 11 km north of Lutose, Alberta along Highway 35 north of Zama City is listed as out of control. Steen River remains under evacuation order.

There is 1 priority wildfire in British Columbia: R91947 (a holdover fire from 2018, being held).

There are 4 priority wildfires in Ontario: Red Lake Fire 14 (3,835 ha) 2 km east of Pikangikum is listed as being held. Red Lake Fire 17 (6,803 ha) 2 km north of Maluish Lake is listed as out of control. Sioux Lookout Fire 8 (833 ha) 1 km east of Pickle Lake is listed as out of control. Timmins Fire 2 (5,000 ha) 2 km west of Gogama is listed as out of control.

In British Columbia, open burning is restricted in the Coastal, Kamloops, Southeast and Cariboo regions.

In Alberta, there are fire bans and off-highway vehicle restrictions in effect for all of northwestern Alberta. There are fire restrictions in the county of Saddle Hills, Birch Hills, Northern Sunrise, Municipalities within Smoky River, and Westlock.

In Ontario, there are fire bans in effect for Egan Chutes, Gibson River, Hardy Lake, Killarney Lakelands Parks, and Mark S. Burnham provincial parks.

Interagency mobilization

The National Preparedness Level in Canada is 4 and the United States 1. Alberta has a preparedness level of 5, Yukon, Northwest Territory, Parks Canada, Manitoba, and Ontario are at 2, and all other agencies are at Level 1.

At this time, Alberta and Yukon are receiving assistance from British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the United States.

Weekly Synopsis

Canada has recorded 1,802 fires so far this year, which have burned 747,464 ha total. New fire starts totalled 116 in the last week (15 of these new fires were lightning caused fires), and about 1,055 hectares burned over the last week. The total number of fires so far this year is below the 10-year average (84.3%), and the area burned is well above average (209.4%).

An upper ridge has moved over western Canada, bringing with it warm, mostly dry conditions today, with a few light, isolated showers possible through Yukon, Northwest Territories and the western Prairie Provinces. A short wave trough west of British Columbia will begin to impinge on the upper ridge over the next 24 hours, flattening it and bringing generally unstable conditions. An upper trough, extending from Hudson Bay southward though Texas, is bringing a stream of moisture northeastward from the central United States into the Great Lakes area. The low pressure system that moved through the central Provinces over the last few days has made its way eastward into northern Quebec and Newfoundland, generating cool temperatures, gusty winds, and showers.

Prognosis

The shortwave trough expected to flatten the upper ridge over British Columbia and Alberta will generate instability over most of western Canada Thursday and overnight into early Friday, resulting in scattered thundershowers, with little overall precipitation expected, although higher local amounts are possible due to heavy downpours associated with individual thunderstorms. With high to extreme duff moisture codes scattered through southern, central and northern British Columbia, northern Alberta, and southern Yukon and Northwest Territories, there is a possibility for new lightning-caused fire starts. Behind the shortwave, the upper ridge begins to rebuild, bringing warmer and drier weather back through the region over the weekend. An upper low off the coast of Alaska will move eastward early next week, elongating and pushing into western Canada, possibly generating unstable conditions and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday.

The upper level trough over Ontario and an associated surface low pressure system, will swing northeastward, generating cool temperatures through Northern Ontario and shower activity through eastern Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces into the weekend. As the surface low moves into northern Quebec on Monday, moisture is cut off, resulting in generally drier conditions and near seasonal temperatures.

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