Archived reports
Uncontrolled | Being Held | Controlled | Modified Response |
---|---|---|---|
18 | 125 | 132 | 30 |
2021 (to date) |
10-yr avg (to date) |
% normal | Prescribed | U.S. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | 6,156 | 5,288 | 116 | 32 | 43,729 |
Area (ha) |
4,163,574 | 2,556,942 | 163 | 3,205 | 2,070,364 |
- Data courtesy of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
- Check the Air Quality Health Index for air quality in your area.
Priority fires
Cutoff Creek (G41269) - 2km N of Big Bend Arm 33,418 ha in size Garrison Lake (K62008) – 33 km southwest of Princeton 14,564 ha in size Hedges Butte (K52762) – 12 km SW of Penticton along Green Mountain Road 166 ha in size July Mountain (K61882) - 45 km SW of Merritt, W of Hwy 19,080 ha in size Sparks Lake (K21001) - 15km N of Kamloops Lake 89,627 ha in size Tremont Crk. (K21849) - Approx 8.5 km SE of Ashcroft 62,524 ha in size White Rock Lake (K61884)- 56 km NE of Merritt 83,342 ha in size Octopus Creek (N51800) - 11 km S of Fauquier 22,049 ha in size
Interagency mobilization
Canada is at national preparedness level 2, indicating Initial attack load has been reduced, along with potential for escaped fires. There may be significant fire on the landscape but fires are contained. British Columbia is at preparedness level 3 indicating significant demobilization is occurring or has been planned, there is no longer competition for resources amongst active agencies, and moderating conditions are forecasted with higher humidity and lower temperatures for the major fire area. All other agencies are at preparedness level 1 or 2.
Nationally, the number of fires is well above average for this time of year with well above average area burned. There was 75 new fire starts last week, with 12 of those attributed to lightning-caused starts reported over the last week. About 13,506 hectares of area burned over the last week.
At this time, personnel have been mobilized to British Columbia, Manitoba, and CIFFC. Equipment has been mobilized to Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Resources are being provided by Alberta, Northwest Territories, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Parks Canada, Mexico, and South Africa.
International crews are currently active in Canada; British Columbia has personnel from Mexico, Manitoba has received personnel from South Africa, and the international firefighters in Ontario have returned. The US remains at NPL 5 with the Northwest and California regions still being very busy. Quebec is sending 2 Sustained Action Crews and Overhead (39 people in total) to the Northwest Region in Washington state to assist.
Weekly Synopsis
In British Columbia, the situation is improving; however, multiple evacuation alerts and orders remain in affect for areas of the province due to wildfire. Open fires are restricted in the Coastal, Kamloops, Southeast and Cariboo regions.
In Northwest Territories, the fire danger low to medium in most regions of the territory, with the exception of some higher indices in the Beaufort-Delta region. There are no restrictions in place. In Yukon the fire danger is low across the territory. There are no special fire restrictions currently in place; however, general burning conditions between April 1 and September 30 are in effect.
In Alberta, there are fire restrictions in northwest and southeast regions of the province. Saskatchewan has no provincial fire ban; however, there are municipal fire bans in the western areas of the province. In Manitoba open fires are prohibited from April 1 to Nov. 15 annually, except under a burning permit or in enclosed approved firepits such as grated campfire pits in provincial campsites.
In Ontario the restricted fire zone in the Northwest Region have been revoked, all outdoor burning rules remain in effect in until the end of the fire season (October 31). Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, have no provincial/territorial fire restrictions in place. Nova Scotia has burning restrictions across the province between 8pm and 2pm. Prince Edward Island has no fire band in place, but require a valid burn permit to have an open fire.
Cloud is moving through British Columbia and into Alberta with low pressure areas along the Pacific coast. Cloud and showers are also moving through Ontario and Quebec with another low sitting between the Great Lakes and James Bay. Clear skies cover eastern Alberta through western Manitoba, and along the Atlantic coast. Numerous wildfire hotspots detected from satellite instruments are visible through the Pacific Northwest USA and southern British Columbia, although most British Columbia fires are now being held or under control. A relatively small area in Canada is prone to new fire, with very low fire weather indexes between eastern Manitoba and the Atlantic coast. Patches of forest in British Columbia, Alberta, and west-central Saskatchewan may still see occasional new fires.
Prognosis
Rapidly varying weather patterns will dominate Canada over the next week or two as a strong Pacific flow moves systems across the country. Most areas will have some sunny, warm, and dry days, but also occasional showers or thundershowers. Hurricane Larry appears to clip eastern Newfoundland late Friday (September 10), although likely transitioning to a post-tropical storm by then. Larry will remain powerful, and may unleash very strong winds and heavy rain with its passage across the Avalon Peninsula. While thundershowers are likely in various other places, new fires will be minimal, although burning or smoldering is likely to continue in regions that had intense and active fire. If dry weather continues in the southern Prairies, grass and brush fires may eventually occur this autumn between southern Alberta and southwestern Manitoba.
Wildfire smoke from British Columbia and the western USA moves into the Prairies for a couple days before sinking back into the USA by Saturday, September 11. Periodic high Air Quality Health Index values may still occur near major fires, although low to moderate values will prevail in other regions.