National Wildland Fire Situation Report

National Wildland Fire Situation Report

Archived reports

Current as of: July 24, 2024

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

Priority fires

Alberta: Jasper National Park- North and South Wildfires- The North fire is located between Transfer Station and the Jasper Strip and is about 250 hectares. The South fire is near the Kerskeslin campground and is about 150 hectares. Both fires are currently listed as Out of Control.

HCX001 – Semo Wildfire Complex – the largest of the wildfires is approximately 16 km northeast of Jon D’or Prairie, 19 km north of Fox Lake and 30 km northeast of Garden River. The wildfire is estimated 96,181 hectares in size.

HCX002 – Melvin River Complex – the largest of the wildfires is approximately about 2 km southwest of Bistcho Lake and is an estimated 36,067 hectares in size.

MCX002 – Cattail Lake Complex – the largest of the wildfires is approximately 6.8 km northeast of industrial facilities, about 53 km northeast of Fort McKay, and 68 km northeast of Fort McMurray. The wildfire is estimated to be 104,619 hectares in size.

MCX003 – Algar Lake Complex – the largest of the wildfires is located west of Highway 63 and southwest of Fort McMurray. It is estimated to be 17,127 hectares in size.

MCX004 – Rabbit Lake Complex – the largest of the wildfires is located northeast of Chipewyan Lakes. It is estimated to be 20,219 hectares in size.

LCX001 – Kettle River Complex – the largest of the wildfires is located northeast of Chipewyan Lakes. It is estimated to be 6,569 hectares in size.

British Columbia:

Shetland Creek (K70910) is located south of Oregan Jack road, is an estimated 19,900 hectares in Size, and is currently listed as out of control.

Komonoko Creek (N51210) originated approximately 2.5 km east of Slocan Lake, on the east of Highway 6, is an estimated 534 hectares in size, and is currently listed as out of control.

Aylwin Creek (N51065) originated east of Slocan Lake, west of Highway 6, is an estimated 400 hectares in size, and is currently listed as out of control.

Antler Creek (C11303) originated west of Antler Creek, is an estimated 14,200 hectares in size, and is currently listed as out of control.

Interagency mobilization

Canada is at national preparedness level 5 (highest level), indicating that demand for interagency resources through CIFFC (Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre) is extreme and national availability of resources is limited, international resources are being mobilized. Alberta and Parks Canada are at agency preparedness level 5 (highest level), British Columbia and Saskatchewan are at agency preparedness level 4; Manitoba and Newfoundland are at level 3, and all other agencies are levels 2 or 1.

The number of fires is average for this time of year, and slightly below the 10-year average for area burned for this time of year. At the time of this report there are aircraft, personnel and equipment mobilized through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre as well as personnel through the North American Compact Agreements.

Mobilization through CIFFC includes to British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and CIFFC from Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Parks Canada, Canadian Forest Service, and CIFFC. There are also international mobilisations from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to Alberta and British Columbia. There are crews being mobilized through the Great Lakes Compact to Manitoba from Ontario.

There were 498 lightning caused fire starts last week. The United States is at preparedness level 5, which indicates full commitment of national resources is ongoing and potential for emerging significant fires is high and expected to remain high in multiple areas.

Weekly Synopsis

In British Columbia there are widespread fire restrictions, except for Haida Gwaii Forest District. Alberta has fire bans across the forest protection area, and fire advisories and restrictions in the remaining southeast portion of the province. Cities, towns, villages, and summer villages, as well as federal lands (such as national parks), are exempt from this ban. Northwest Territories has extreme fire danger across the entire territory where campfires are not recommended unless there is no other choice for food or warmth. In the Yukon fire danger is high in the Carmack's region, permission to burn hand-piled brush will not be provided in these areas. Saskatchewan has issued a fire ban in the northern regions of the province, there are urban municipality fire bans across the central and south regions of the province. In Manitoba, there are municipal burning restrictions in the southern parts of the province, western Flin Flon region, and central Grand Rapids area. In New Brunswick, there are category 1 burning restrictions in Madawaska, Restigouche, Gloucester, and Victoria. Nova Scotia has burning restrictions across the eastern two-thirds of the province. Prince Edward Island requires burning permits based on the daily Fire Weather Index. The Island of Newfoundland and Labrador has no restrictions, but a ban remains in effect for Labrador.

Ontario and Quebec have no restrictions in place.

Prognosis

A slowly moving Pacific storm system will gradually drift eastward, reaching northern Manitoba by the July 27-28 weekend. This system has brought plentiful rain to northwest British Columbia and extensive lightning to most other parts of the province.

As this system moves east, showers and thundershowers will become common in central and northern parts of the Prairie Provinces. Central Manitoba may receive little rainfall as the system moves northeast and weakens. Wind will be a factor between this system and a high-pressure area crossing eastern Canada ahead of it. Rapid fire growth may occur in parts of Canada between Saskatchewan and Ontario. Wind may be strong but rain generous in Alberta behind the storm system.

Seasonal temperatures and occasional showers and thundershowers will occur in British Columbia and the Prairies following this system.

Showers fall in eastern Canada between Wednesday, July 24, and Friday, July 26 end then dry air covers most of the region. The Atlantic Provinces appear to stay driest in the east as periodic showers or thundershowers begin to move across central Quebec and Labrador as the week of July 28 begins.

Periodic showers will affect Yukon, and western and far northern parts of the Northwest Territories, while the eastern Northwest Territories remain generally dry.

Fire weather indexes will continue rising in southern parts of British Columbia, the southern Prairies, much of Ontario, and the eastern Northwest Territories. A modest increase will likely occur in southern parts of Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces.

Weekly graphs (current as of: July 24, 2024)