Archived reports

Current active fires
Uncontrolled Being Held Controlled Modified Response
31 15 77 21
2021
(to date)
10-yr avg
(to date)
% normal Prescribed U.S.
Number 2,611 2,551 102 32 30,626
Area
(ha)
386,050 720,554 54 3,205 595,904

Priority fires

British Columbia: • K70804 George Road – approximately 7 kilometres south of Lytton, adjacent to Highway 1, estimated 350 hectares in size and currently listed as out of control.
• K71030 Mckay Creek – approximately 23 kilometres north of Lillooet, along West Pavillion Road, estimated 22,000 hectares in size and currently listed as out of control. • K21001 Sparks Lake – approximately 15 kilometres north of Kamloops Lake, estimated 31,000 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control. • K71086 Lytton Creek – at community of Lytton, estimated 10,000 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control. • G81007 – Beatton River, estimated 3,400 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control. • G80997 – north of Buckinghorse River, estimated 6,000 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control. • G91020 – Alaska highway, estimated 2,856 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control. • N51165 Merry Creek – approximately 8 km southwest of Casltegar, estimated 15 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control. • C41102 – southwest of Deka Lake, estimated 200 hectares in size and is currently listed as out of control.

Interagency mobilization

Canada is at national preparedness level 4, indicating an increased mobilization of resources to support active agencies. British Columbia is at preparedness level 4, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Parks Canada are at preparedness level 3, indicating high fire load with additional assistance required. Northwest Territories and Newfoundland and Labrador are at preparedness level 2, with all other agencies at preparedness level 1. Nationally, the number of fires is about average for this time of year with below average area burned.

At this time, equipment and personnel are being mobilized from several jurisdictions to send to British Columbia. Previously deployed resources are returning to Alberta and Quebec. No international crews are currently active in Canada. The United States is at preparedness level 4 indicating significant wildland fire activity in multiple geographic areas.

Weekly Synopsis

British Columbia has a province wide ban on open fires with many new fire starts and many fires burning out of control

A few cracks are appearing in the record-breaking high pressure area over western Canada, although this is bad news with regard to fire. Sporadic thundershowers, often with very little rain, are beginning to appear in some regions. A large outbreak of fire with rapid and erratic growth in at least a few regions appears imminent. Seasonal conditions still prevail in central and eastern regions, although fire activity is increasing in Manitoba and western Ontario.

Prognosis

The record-setting heat that has affected western North America is gradually moving east and slowly lessening in intensity. Drought areas continue to expand in Canada. The most intense drought continues to be in southern Manitoba, although significant drought is also affecting southern British Columbia, Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, western Ontario, and the area between the Great Lakes and Gulf of St Lawrence. Where the drought areas affect forests, wildland fires may start easily from lightning strikes and human causes. Spotty thundershowers will trigger new fires in most of western Canada over the next few days, although a strip about 300 km north and south of the 60th parallel will likely receive enough rain to alleviate fire danger for a few days. Weather forecast models suggest little rain is likely in most regions between British Columbia and Ontario over the next few days. A resurgence of hot weather is possible in western Canada late in the week of July 4, although with less intensity than the recent event.