National Wildland Fire Situation Report

National Wildland Fire Situation Report

Archived reports

Current as of: September 11, 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

Saskatchewan: Southwest of Southend – is estimated 32,600 hectares in size and is currently classified as not contained.

East of Missinipe/Grandmothers Bay – is an estimated 80,445 hectares in size and is currently classified as protecting property.

Interagency mobilization

Canada is at national preparedness level 3, indicating mobilization through CIFFC for resources is required to support operations in active agencies. Saskatchewan is at agency preparedness level 4; Alberta is at level 3, and all other agencies are levels 2 or 1.

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

Mobilization through CIFFC includes to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Parks Canada from British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. All International resources are demobilized and have returned home.

The United States is at preparedness level 5, which indicates extreme wildfire activity in multiple geographic areas, and full commitment of national resources is ongoing.

Weekly Synopsis

In British Columbia there are category 2 and 3 open burn bans across most regions of the province with the exception of the Northwest Fire Centre, and category 1 bans in some areas in the Cariboo region. Alberta has fire bans in the foothills and eastern areas of the province, and some restrictions in the northwest regions. Northwest Territories has extreme fire danger across the South Slave and North Slave regions, there are no specific fire bans in place, however campfires are not recommended unless there is no other choice for food or warmth. Saskatchewan has no provincial fire restrictions, however municipalities across most of the west, central, and southern continue to have restrictions in place. In Manitoba, there are no provincial restrictions, however municipal burning restrictions remain in the southern parts of the province, western Flin Flon region, and central Grand Rapids area. New Brunswick has restrictions between 8am to 8pm daily in the Queens region. Prince Edward Island requires burning permits based on the daily Fire Weather Index.

Yukon, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador have no restrictions in place.

Parks Canada has reopened some areas in Jasper National Park for visitors there are limited services and attractions. If you plan to travel to Jasper, please check what is available online before you go.

Prognosis

A cooler and wetter pattern dominates weather in western Canada over the coming week, while warm and dry weather remains in place over southern parts of eastern Canada.

Wind on the west side of a surface high pressure area may increase fire growth in northern Saskatchewan on Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12 but this will be followed by a showery pattern starting late Thursday.

A flow of moisture across northwestern British Columbia, Yukon, and the western Northwest Territories will provide occasional showers through those regions.

Fire weather indexes will fall in British Columbia and the Prairies, remain steady in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and northern parts of the eastern provinces; and rise in southern parts of eastern Canada.

Potential for lightning-caused fires is currently high in portions of central and northeastern British Columbia, central parts of the Prairie Provinces, northern Saskatchewan, and the southern Northwest Territories.

Lightning activity will remain low and rain over the next few days in some of the dry regions will help reduce the chance of new fires.

Weekly graphs (current as of: September 11, 2024)