Archived reports

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

Priority fires

Yukon: Takhini Bridge West (2023XY019), Reverse Creek (2023MA005), Illusion Creek (2023XY018)

British Columbia: Peacock Creek (R21178), Parrot Lookout (R21234), Klawli Lake (G50872), Tintagel (R11244), St. Mary’s River (N11805), Davidson Creek (G41493), Nithi Mountain (G41422), Greer Creek (G41511), Gatcho Lake (G41158), Whitefish Lake (G51564), Nilkitkwa (R31465), Davis Lake (V11152), Young Creek (VA1735), Lucas Lake (G41380), Pelican Lake (C11499), Finger Lake (G41195), Great Beaver Lake (G51279), Donnie Creek (G80280), Townsend Creek (C11290), Dean River (VA1335).

Alberta: Basset Complex (HWF058, PWF067, PWF079), Kimiwan Complex (PWF038, SWF068), 10km southeast of Fort Fitzgerald (MWF043), Owl Complex (HWF072/083/092), 55 km northwest of Dixonville (PWF091).

Northwest Territories: Sambaa K'e Fire (FS001), SS022 (North of Fort Smith), Fort Resolution (SS023), Yellowknife/Behchoko (ZF015), Wekweeti Fires (ZF009/13), Tulita Wildfires (VQ006/9), Midway Lake Wildfire (EV012).

Manitoba: WE027 (Garden River)

Interagency mobilization

Canada is at national preparedness level 5, indicating full commitment of national resources is ongoing, demand for resources is extreme, and international resources are being mobilized. British Columbia is at Preparedness Level 5, Quebec and Alberta are at Preparedness Level 4, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Parks Canada are at Preparedness Level 3, and all other agencies are at Preparedness Level 1 or 2.

The number of fires is well above average for this time of year, and well above the average for area burned for this time of year. The ten-year average of cumulative area burned is 1,484,165 hectares for this day. There was 325 net new fire starts, with 263 of those attributed to lightning reported over the last week.

At the time of this report, personnel, and equipment have been mobilized to British Columbia, Yukon Alberta, Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Parks Canada and CIFFC from across Canada and internationally. There are American, Australian, New Zealand, South African, South Korean, French, and Mexican personnel active in Canada, with additional personnel from the United States anticipated, CIFFC remains in discussion with others. The United States is at preparedness level 2.

Weekly Synopsis

Prince Edward Island for Category 1 fires, you must check the Burn Restrictions below before you may burn. For Category 2, 3, or 4 fires, you must hold a valid burn permit and you must check the Fire Weather Index (FWI) below before you may burn.

Nova Scotia has burning restrictions in Inverness and Victoria Counties, where burning is not allowed between 8 am and 2 pm.

Quebec: There are active restrictions in the Nord-Du-Québec region.

Saskatchewan has fire bans in the southwest corner of the province, as well as for the communities Green Lakes, Canwood, Edam, Senlac, Coleville, Marengo, Pleasantdale, and Langenburg.

Alberta has fire bans and restrictions across the northwest, foothills, and southeast corner of the province, and fire advisories in the northeast and central regions.

Northwest Territories has high to extreme fire danger across the territory. Campfires are not recommended unless it is necessary for food or warmth. The Town of Fort Smith has a fire ban on open air fires, Camp stoves, enclosed BBQs and propane-fueled cooking and heating devices are permitted.

British Columbia: All open burning, including campfires, is prohibited across the province.

Yukon fire conditions are elevated, A level 2 fire ban is in place for due to high fire load and dry conditions in the Whitehorse, Teslin, Watson Lake, Carmacks, Ross River and Mayo fire management districts. A level 2 fire ban means that campfires are only allowed in the approved pits at road-accessible campgrounds.

Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador have no provincial/territorial fire restrictions in place.

Recent rain from a large low pressure area wandering around the Hudson Bay area has reduced fire weather and behaviour indexes east of James Bay. This system continues to move off to the northeast but is still dragging showers through the region. A Pacific storm system that barged through central British Columbia and Alberta on Monday and Tuesday now lies in a weakened state in southern Manitoba. Rain in British Columbia likely helped reduce fire activity in the northern part of the province but was less plentiful in central regions. Plenty of fire activity from satellite hotspots in still visible in northern Alberta, north-central Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.

Prognosis

A ridge of high pressure builds over western Canada, but the central part of the ridge through northern British Columbia and Alberta appears weak and will allow Pacific moisture to trickle through. This will increase the chance of showers and thundershowers with lightning fires possible in southern and western British Columbia, southern and northern Yukon, northern Alberta, and most of Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. Warm weather will continue in many areas, especially in southern regions and the Northwest Territories. A Pacific storm system churning around off the British Columbia coast appears to weaken the ridge in northern British Columbia enough to advance slowly inland by the middle of the week of July 23. This will increase the chance of lightning fires in dry southern British Columbia. Ahead of this Pacific storm, the east side of the ridge will allow only weak disturbances to pass through, providing a drying trend and allowing fire weather indexes to slowly rise through the Prairies, Ontario, and western Quebec. Moisture moving up the Atlantic coast will keep indexes steadier in the low to moderate range in the Atlantic Provinces.