Category Archives: Forest Fires

Forest Fires

BC Wildfire assists on Washington State fire

The Times Chronicle
July 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

The BC Wildfire Service said Tuesday (July 8) afternoon it’s aware of the wildfire in Washington State 16 km southwest of Northport and is assisting in fire suppression. The location is south of Highway 3 between Christina Lake and Trail, and is being referred to as the “Hope Fire”. The fire was first reported at approximately 1:15 p.m. was estimated later in the afternoon to be 600 acres (243 hectares) in size. BC Wildfire said in a social media post that the US Department of Natural Resources is responding and have resources on-site. BC Wildfire has also deployed airtankers to support wildfire suppression efforts. “At this time there is no threat to the Canada-US border,” it said. Stevens County Emergency Management has announced Level 3 (LEAVE NOW) evacuation orders in the area of Three Pines Youth Camp, according to a statement from Stevens County Emergency Management.

Read More

New Zealand to send seven specialist personnel to support wildfire response in Canada

By Fire and Emergency Portal
Government of New Zealand
July 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, International

A seven-person specialist team from New Zealand will depart to Canada Wednesday to support with the response to severe wildfires. The team will be situated in Manitoba where there are over 80 active wildfires resulting in more than 20,000 people being evacuated from their homes. This deployment comes as a result of a formal request received from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and consists of an Incident Commander, Operations Sections Chief, Planning Sections Chief, Logistics Section Chief, Safety Officer and two Division Supervisors. They will provide crucial management and coordination support to the on-the-ground firefighting teams in Manitoba.  The team is highly skilled and includes career and volunteer Fire and Emergency personnel as well as one specialist from the forestry sector. A much larger second deployment of firefighters from Fire and Emergency, the forestry sector and Department of Conservation is set to join the team in Canada next week. 

Read More

Firefighters knock down Sooke brush fire as danger rating soars to extreme

District of Sooke
July 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

On July 16, 2025, Sooke Fire Rescue responded to a brush fire near Glinz Lake Road and Highway 14. Thanks to the quick action of residents who reported the fire and the coordinated response from Sooke Fire Rescue and mutual aid partners from Metchosin, the blaze was swiftly contained to an area of about 170 square metres – roughly half the size of a 25-metre public swimming pool, like the one at SEAPARC. “We are grateful for the community’s alertness and the dedication of all responding crews,” says Deputy Fire Chief Chris McCrea. “This incident is a clear reminder of the current heightened wildfire hazard. Community awareness and teamwork are critical to keeping Sooke safe.” The fire is believed to be human caused, and the situation highlights the importance of adhering to fire restrictions and practicing extreme caution during the ongoing dry period. The District of Sooke’s fire danger rating is EXTREME.

Read More

Wildfire near Princeton golf course prompts evacuation orders

By Logan Lockhart
Penticton Western News
July 12, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Emergency Operations Centre has issued evacuation orders due to the 14-hectare wildfire east of Princeton. A live BC Wildfire Service map shows the August Lake wildfire burning near the Princeton Golf Club. …Residents on evacuation order must leave their property and report to the Princeton Emergency Support Services Reception Centre at the Princeton & District Arena at 167 Old Hedley Rd., the RDOS said. …Four helicopters and five airtankers are responding to the August Lake wildfire just east of Princeton. BCWS says 14 firefighters are also on scene fighting the now 10-hectare blaze. It is still classified as “out of control” and appears to be burning near the Princeton Golf Club, according to a live BCWS map. “The fire is displaying rank 2-3 behaviour, meaning a moderately vigorous surface fire with a moderate rate of spread,” BCWS said in an update.

Read More

Manitoba renews provincewide emergency order as wildfires rage, forcing thousands out

By Steve Lambert
Canadian Press in the Winnipeg Free Press
July 10, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government declared a provincewide state of emergency Thursday for the second time this year, as renewed wildfires forced thousands more out of northern communities. With the latest round of fires and evacuations, the province said more than one million hectares have burned — more than 10 times the average over the last 20 years. “This is the worst year in our 30-year electronic record,” said Kristin Hayward with the Manitoba Wildfire Service. In total, about 12,600 people are out of their homes in Manitoba. The government gave notice that it intends to use Winnipeg’s major convention centre to house evacuees. …Over the past week, the fires, aided by lightning strikes, have surged back. “I’ve shaken the hands of American firefighters in northern Manitoba who are helping us out and I would challenge these ambulance chasers in the U.S. Congress to go and do the same,” Premier Wab Kinew said.

 

Read More

Smoke clears in the Kootenays as U.S. wildfire grows

By Sheri Regnier
Nelson Star
July 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Wildfire smoke from just across the U.S. border is drifting into southern B.C., prompting a Level 1 activation of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). As of Wednesday night, the Hope Fire had grown to 3,500 acres with zero per cent containment, burning 11.4 miles southwest of Northport, Washington. Wednesday morning, the regional district issued an update on the Hope (USA) Fire. According to the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB), as forecasted, favourable weather conditions last night resulted in shifting winds that blew the fire back onto itself and away from the Canada/US border. The United States has put considerable resources on the now 3,200-acre fire. For current information on the Hope Fire, residents are advised to consult U.S. agency sources, such as inciweb.wildfire

Read More

Wildfire north of Lytton grows to 185 hectares

By Jordy Cunningham
Victoria News
July 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Wildfire Service now estimates the Izman Creek blaze to be 185.3 hectares in size. Crews were able to come up with a more accurate number after being able to mapping of the fire perimeter, however, not all areas within the perimeter are actively burning or have burned. In BCWS’s latest update, which came out just after 2 p.m., it states the east flank moving upslope is experiencing increased activity. Additionally, pockets of smoke in the perimeter are displaying Rank 1 and 2 behaviour. Highway 12 remains open with alternating single lane traffic to ensure first responder safety.

Read More

Saskatchewan’s massive Shoe Fire still only 68 per cent contained

News Talk 650 CKOM
July 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency

There were 64 active fires burning in Saskatchewan on Saturday, with the massive Shoe Fire first reported on May 7, still only 68 per cent contained, according to Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). SPSA said in its daily report at 11 a.m. on July 5 that number includes grass and forest fires, and there have been 343 blazes so far in 2025. In 2024 at this time 221 fires had been recorded. SPSA said there were five evacuation orders in the province… The Saturday report said that 22 of the 64 blazes were not contained, while another 24 of the fires were under ongoing assessment and firefighters were protecting values in 11. Eight fires were considered contained.

Read More

RCMP accidentally sparked wildfire near Lytton, which is now 155 hectares

By Amy Judd
Global News
July 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The RCMP has confirmed that an accident involving one of its trailers led to the ignition of the Izman Creek wildfire near Lytton on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, RCMP said that at approximately 2:20 p.m., an “equipment failure” of an RCMP trailer started the fire alongside Highway 12 near Lytton. “It appears that the right side wheel ejected from the trailer, ultimately causing a fire in the grass-filled ditch,” RCMP said in a statement. “The officer stopped to engage the flames with their issued fire extinguisher but the conditions were not favourable and they were unable (to) contain the fire.” The BC Wildfire Service was called in and dispatched crews to combat the blaze. The Izium Creek wildfire is now an estimated 155 hectares in size, as of Thursday afternoon, and has been classified as a wildfire of note.

Read More

‘Out of control’ wildfire between Cowichan Valley and Port Renfrew

By Liz Brown
Chek News
July 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

BC Wildfire Services says it’s responding to a wildfire on Vancouver Island spotted Wednesday and deemed out of control at this time. Discovered on July 2, in the Harris Creek area between the Cowichan Valley and Port Renfrew, the wildfire reportedly spans two hectares. “There are currently 3 Initial Attack Crews responding to this wildfire,” states BCWS’ latest update. Additionally, two helicopters and airtankers are responding, as well as two pieces of heavy equipment. The service says it suspects the wildfire is human-caused. BCWS provided its latest update on this fire at 4:42 p.m. Wednesday. Further north on the Island, a wildfire near Nahmint Mountain, between Port Alberni and Tofino is deemed under control but according to BCWS, crews will remain in the area for some time.

Read More

Wildfire closest to Lytton, B.C., being held — but fire north of village grows

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
July 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Evacuation orders related to Nikaia Creek wildfire now rescinded, but Highway 12 closed north of Lytton. A wildfire burning closest to Lytton, B.C., is not expected to grow beyond current perimeters, leading to evacuation orders being rescinded in the area. …However, the Izman Creek wildfire north of the village has grown significantly over the last two days. As a result, Highway 12 remains closed to most traffic between Lillooet and Lytton. The Izman Creek fire covers an area of 130 hectares as of 8:20 p.m. PT Wednesday, more than quadrupling in size from 25 hectares recorded on Tuesday night. …B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Taylor Stewart Shantz said the crews dealing with the Izman Creek wildfire were facing challenging conditions, which meant they couldn’t fight it head-on and would have to use indirect attack methods. …Both fires are suspected to have been human caused, with the region under a high or extreme fire danger rating.

Additional coverage by Brenna Owen, Canadian Press: Fire again threatens Lytton, B.C., one of hundreds of blazes across Canada

Read More

Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., prompts local state of emergency, evacuation order

Canadian Press in CTV News
July 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a local state of emergency for the Blue Sky Country region due to an encroaching out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C. It has also issued an evacuation order for two properties on Spencer Road South as the blaze poses “immediate danger to life.” The BC Wildfire Service says the Nikaia Creek wildfire is about six hectares in size and is one of more than 70 wildfires burning across the province. It says crews, supported by firefighters from Lytton First Nation, made “good progress” overnight and they are now focused on the north and south flanks of the blaze. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District also issued an evacuation alert Monday night for nine properties in the Harper Lake area near Chase, B.C., due to the rapidly growing Mount Scatchard wildfire.

Related coverage:

Read More

Manitoba premier ends state of emergency as wildfire danger recedes, evacuees return

By Steve Lambert
Flin Flon Reminder
June 23, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Wab Kinew

WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the provincewide state of emergency has been lifted as the danger from wildfires recedes. He announced Monday that while the emergency rules are no longer needed, crews remain vigilant as fires rage. His government also says pressure remains on hotel room space for evacuees as Manitoba deals with one of its worst fire seasons in years. States of emergency allow for law changes and freedom restrictions so that various levels of government can work quickly and work together to respond to disaster situations. Kinew told a news conference that emergency powers should be invoked and renewed only when absolutely necessary. He said Manitobans need only look to the United States to see what happens when such powers are used recklessly. …Saskatchewan also has been battling one of its worst fire seasons in recent memory. …The province remains under a state of emergency.

Read More

Rain dampens fire activity in Northwest B.C., largest fire ‘being held’

Victoria News
June 18, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The B.C. Wildfire Service has changed the status of the province’s largest wildfire to “being held” as of Monday, June 16 after heavy weekend rains aided the firefighting effort. This Pocket Creek Fire in the province’s northeast corner is now 151,310 hectares. The fire had forced the closure of Highway 97 for a short time earlier this month. The area received more than 100 millimetres of rain over the weekend, “significantly” hampering fire growth, according to the wildfire service. A B.C. Wildfire Service spokesperson said rain is expected to continue to reduce fire behaviour in the area over the next couple days. There are currently 53 firefighters and four helicopters still working the fire. The change in weather also means campfire bans were rescinded in the Peace Forest Districts, including the Dawson Creek and Fort St. John zones as of noon on Tuesday (June 17).

Read More

Wildfire in B.C. central Interior triggers evacuation alert, fire crews on scene

The Canadian Press in Castanet
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation alert for properties near a wildfire that is burning out of control in British Columbia’s central Interior. The Martin Lake fire was discovered Sunday and is burning about 220 kilometres west of Williams Lake. The district says the purpose of the alert is to allow people to prepare to evacuate should it be necessary as conditions could change quickly. The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze has grown to about 290 hectares in size, and crews and aviation resources are on site, working to limit its spread. It is one of about 100 wildfires burning in B.C., many of which are situated in the province’s northeast. The service says most of those fires — including the Martin Lake blaze — are believed to have been set off by lightning, while 21 per cent are suspected to be caused by humans.

Read More

Squamish wildfire being held, crews working toward full containment

By Jan Schuermann
CityNews Everywhere
June 16, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The wildfire on the northern edge of Squamish is classified as being held on Monday after a weekend of favourable weather conditions. BC Wildfire Service Fire Information Officer Sarah Budd says dozens of ground crews are working to get the Dryden Creek wildfire fully under control. “We also have three helicopters actioning this fire,” Budd told 1130 NewsRadio, adding the fire now sits at just under 60 hectares. An evacuation alert for properties near the fire, issued by the Squamish Fire Department, has been downsized. Because the Dryden Creek Fire is in difficult terrain, it could take crews another week or so to wrap things up. “This fire has been burning in sort of really difficult terrain,” explained Budd.

Read More

More Manitoba fire evacuees to head home

By Steve Lambert
Canadian Press in the Brandon Sun
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

WINNIPEG — Rain and cooler temperatures brought relief to fire-ravaged Manitoba and Saskatchewan Monday, allowing fire bans to be reduced and more evacuees to go home. The weather helped fire crews get an upper hand in parts of northern Manitoba to clear the way for some of the 21,000 or more evacuees to start returning home. David Monias, chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, reposted video of heavy rainfall on social media along with video of small planes leaving Winnipeg with evacuees who were forced out almost three weeks earlier. “Our people are coming home,” Monias wrote on Facebook, adding the community’s infrastructure is intact and water systems have been tested by health officials. …There were 18 fires still burning across Manitoba, with seven of them listed as out of control.

Read More

Wildfire near Squamish being held, no longer burning out of control

The Canadian Press in CTV News
June 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Officials say a wildfire near Squamish, B.C., which forced the evacuation of the nearby Alice Lake Provincial Park and triggered a local state of emergency earlier this week, is now classified as being held after help from cool, cloudy weather. The BC Wildfire Service announced the fire was being held, meaning the fire is expected to remain within its current perimeter based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, on Saturday afternoon. The District of Squamish says the Dryden Creek wildfire has held steady at 0.6 square kilometres in size since Friday. The district says 65 B.C. wildland firefighters, five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment are on scene to work alongside Squamish Fire Rescue staff to contain the fire. Although weather conditions seem favourable for firefighting efforts, the district says a state of local emergency remains in place.

Read More

‘Horrendous’ air quality as wildfire smoke blankets several provinces

By Rianna Lim and Vanessa Tiberio
Prince George Citizen
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms. The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds brought in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario. The weather agency also issued air quality warnings in central Saskatchewan and a special statement for much of Manitoba, noting that air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and vary from hour to hour.

Read More

Five new wildfires confirmed in Northwestern Ontario as 52 remain active

By Evan Taylor
KenoraOnline
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Fire crews in Northwestern Ontario are monitoring 52 active wildfires across the region after five new blazes were confirmed by Sunday evening. Among the latest is Red Lake 99, burning near Grist Lake, which is the largest of the new fires at 394 hectares and not under control. Red Lake 101 has also drawn attention after crossing into Ontario from Manitoba. That fire is currently 227.5 hectares and continues to burn within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Other new fires include Red Lake 98 near Hornby Lake, Red Lake 100 west of Poplar Hill First Nation, and Red Lake 102 northwest of Nechigona Lake. Of those, only Red Lake 100 is under control. Fire officials continue to urge people to respect emergency orders and stay out of restricted zones to support safety and firefighting operations.

Read More

Manitoba fire spreads into Northwestern Ontario

Northwest Ontario Newswatch
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

DRYDEN — Ten new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario over the weekend brought the total number of active fires in the region to 52. The Ministry of Natural Resources reports that one of the new outbreaks is an extension of a wildfire burning in Manitoba. That province’s EA061 fire has burned 278,000 hectares there, and 228 hectares in Ontario, as of Sunday evening. It’s located about 10 kilometres west of Bulging Lake in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Among other new fires of note in the Northwest, a 394-hectare blaze is burning four kilometres northwest of Grist Lake in the MNR’s Red Lake sector. The ministry reports the wildland fire hazard is low to moderate in most of the region, except for along the Ontario-Manitoba border from the Rainy River area to Opasquia Provincial Park, 250 kilometres north of Red Lake, where the hazard is mainly high. 

Read More

Four new forest fires reported in the Northern Ontario region Monday

By Darren MacDonald
CTV News
July 7, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ontario Forest Fires says there are now six forest fires in the northeast region after four new ones were discovered Monday. One of the fires is under control while the other five are being held, the group said in its daily update on the area’s forest fire situation. “The fire hazard is low across the central and southern section of the region and moderate to high with a few pockets of extreme values across the northern section of the northeast region,” the update said. Wildland fires can affect communities when they occur in or near neighbourhoods near forested areas. The FireSmart program offers tangible tips on how to mitigate the risk of wildland fires spreading to your home, cottage, or community. “Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services would like to remind the public to use caution when performing any outdoor burning,” the update said.

Read More

Ontario’s largest forest fire is now being held

By Gary Rinne
NWOnewswatch.com
July 7, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The province’s biggest-ever forest fire is now considered unlikely to spread beyond its existing boundaries. The 196,000-hectare Red Lake 12 was declared “being held” by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Sunday. The MNR described it as “a significant milestone” for the fire that prompted the evacuation of both Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations. Eighteen firefighting crews supported by seven helicopters are still assigned the task of bringing the fire under complete control, but some other equipment has now been demobilized. Logistic support staff will be shipping firefighting apparatus out of Deer Lake and Sandy Lake over the next few days. 

Related content:

Read More

After weeks of escalation, rainfall has reduced wildfire hazards across northwestern Ontario

By Sarah Law
CBC News
June 25, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Recent rainfall has reduced the wildfire hazard across northwestern Ontario, though the region’s largest wildfire is now more than 194,000 hectares large. Red Lake 12 — the fire that has forced community evacuations in Deer Lake First Nation and Sandy Lake First Nation — remains not under control. However, precipitation and cooler temperatures have given FireRangers more breathing room over the past few days and have also reduced smoke levels. However, thunderstorms this past weekend have created the potential for holdover fires caused by lightning, which crews will be monitoring over the next week. Red Lake 12 has 23 firefighting crews assigned to three divisions on the fire’s south and eastern perimeters, supported by 18 helicopters, including four heavy helicopters with increased bucketing capacity, Ontario Forest Fires said in its latest update.

Read More

Some residents allowed to return after forest fire in Halifax area prompts evacuation

The Canadian Press in City News
June 22, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

MUSQUODOBOIT HARBOUR — Halifax officials say some people who had to flee a forest fire on Sunday afternoon were being allowed back home, with provincial officials noting rain was falling and the blaze was being held. RCMP began helping evacuate people earlier in the day after issuing a statement about a forest fire in Musquodoboit Harbour, about 45 kilometres east of downtown Halifax, and police also asked other residents to avoid the area. Later, the Halifax Regional Municipality said some of the evacuees would be permitted to return home, while an evacuation centre would be opening for those not being allowed back. Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources department posted to social media late Sunday that the fire was being held at about 30 hectares in size and that rain was falling.

Read More

Wet weather expected to help fight Badger wildfire, says N.L. fire officer

By Elizabeth Whitten
CBC News
June 19, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Jeff Motty

A wildfire is still threatening the community of Badger but wet weather is expected to help crews fight the fire, says Newfoundland and Labrador’s fire officer. The forest fire started on Tuesday, ignited by a lightning strike near the community. On Wednesday, the province ordered residents of the town to evacuate and head to the nearby community of Grand Falls-Windsor. The provincial government also brought in a province-wide fire ban. Forestry protection supervisor Jeff Motty anticipates Thursday will be a “bust day” fighting the wildfire that’s threatening Badger. “If everything holds through, the [fire weather index] should decrease down to a level of moderate,” he told CBC News on Wednesday evening, “which will be good for our crews to be able to get in and just start working that fire and trying to put out any hotspots and anything in between that they can get out.” 

Read More

Wildfire burning near Badger, Churchill Falls fire being held

By Elizabeth Whitten and Alex Kennedy
CBC News
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

A wildfire has started near the Newfoundland community of Badger following a lightning storm in the area Tuesday afternoon. Craig Coady, the director of Newfoundland and Labrador’s wildfire program, told CBC News Tuesday evening the fire is burning about six kilometres from the community, and is burning east from the south side of the Exploits River. Crews received word of the fire just after 4 p.m. NT, Grand Falls-Windsor Fire Chief Vince MacKenzie said Tuesday. Torrential rain and lightning was reported in the area around the time, which prompted a short power outage for more than 8,500 people in the region. …It wasn’t the only fire crews were fighting on Tuesday. A wildfire burning near Churchill Falls, Labrador is now being held. The fire broke out on Monday but is being managed on Tuesday. It was considered out of control until Tuesday morning when the status changed to being held.

Read More

New fire on Mount Hood: Sheriff warns remote hikers ‘Leave immediately … Your life could be in great danger’

By Aimee Green
Oregon Live
July 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

MOUNT HOOD, Oregon — The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday afternoon issued a Level 3 (go now) evacuation order for a new, five-acre wildfire on Mount Hood that was first reported late in the morning about three miles northwest of Timothy Lake. As of 4 p.m., the evacuation order does not affect the campgrounds and trails immediately around Timothy Lake, a popular recreational spot about 90 minutes from Portland. But helicopters are scooping large buckets of water from the lake to suppress the fire. Firefighters on the ground also have started an “aggressive initial attack,” the U.S. Forest Service said. The evacuation order affects a two-mile radius around the much smaller Dinger Lake and includes Anvil Lake and the Anvil Lake Trail 724. The order so far only affects remote campsites and hikers. …Dubbed the Anvil fire, it is burning near Forest Road 5820.

Read More

Gov. Kotek invokes Conflagration Act for fast-growing wildfire moving through steep, challenging terrain

By Kathryn Styer Martínez
Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

The Cram Fire, which is burning east of Madras, continues to challenge fire crews. The rapidly growing fire moved southeast overnight Monday toward the community of Ashwood, causing crews to mobilize around the mining ghost town. It has now grown to more than 28,000 acres. …The fire is running into steep and remote territory, with “challenging access,” according to a Central Oregon Fire press release this morning. …Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Conflagration Act for the Cram Fire on Monday afternoon. …There are over 230 people working on the Cram Fire and more are expected to join, according to OSFM. …Cooler weather on Tuesday will help firefighters but temperatures in Bend and Madras are expected to return to the mid-90s later this week.

Read More

Laguna Fire grows to more than 15,000 acres after spot fire escapes management boundaries

By Patrick Lohmann
Source New Mexico
July 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

The Laguna Fire approximately 25 miles west of Abiquiú has grown to more than 15,000 acres, and prompted evacuation orders more than two weeks after Santa Fe National Forest officials announced their plans to let the fire safely grow instead of suppressing it immediately. On June 30, the Santa Fe National Forest announced that lightning caused the 176-acre fire and that they were going to “actively manage” the blaze, hoping to encourage low-intensity fire to spread across a roughly 13,000 mile area. Noting that the fire was burning in an area that had undergone a National Environmental Policy Act review, and had previously been subject to prescribed burns and thinning, Santa Fe National Forest Deputy Forest Supervisor Anthony Madrid said the fire presented “an opportunity to create a resilient ecosystem that reduces the future risk of catastrophic severe wildfire to communities.”

Read More

Historic lodge destroyed in Grand Canyon blaze

By Bernd Debusmann
BBC News
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

©NPS Photo/M. Quinn

ARIZONA — A raging wildfire near the Grand Canyon in the US has destroyed dozens of buildings – including a historic lodge that was the only accommodation available within the surrounding national park’s North Rim. The fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge is one of two that has swept across tens of thousands of acres in the area. The blazes have also forced the closure of the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 tourist season. Authorities in the state of Arizona are still working to contain the fires, which have been dubbed the Dragon Bravo Fire and White Sage Fire. …No injuries are reported to have been caused by the blaze, which was fuelled by sustained winds that reached up to 40mph. But preliminary assessments from the National Park Service indicate that 50 to 80 buildings have been lost to the Dragon Bravo Fire, including administrative buildings and visitor facilities.

Related coverage in CBS News: Historic Grand Canyon Lodge destroyed by wildfire in Arizona, while smoke from Canadian fires hits Upper Midwest
 

Read More

Madre Fire in California explodes to nearly 80,000 acres

By Meredith Deliso & Patricio Chile
ABC News
July 6, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

A massive California wildfire has prompted evacuation orders and a highway closure. The Madre Fire ignited Wednesday afternoon in San Luis Obispo County, according to Cal Fire. It has since grown to 79,936 acres and is 30% contained as of Sunday, fire officials said. The fire — the largest in California so far this year, according to Cal Fire data — is burning in a largely rural area in the Los Padres National Forest near Highway 166, officials said. Evacuation orders were issued near Highway 166 in San Luis Obispo County. The highway is closed from U.S. 101 near Santa Maria to Perkins Road in the New Cuyama area of Santa Barbara County, according to the California Department of Transportation. …Approximately 50 structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire. Officials warned that the fire has a high rate of spread.

Read More

France Canyon fire now burning 23,353 acres, at 10% containment

By Renisha Mall
ABC News 4
June 23, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

PANGUITCH, Utah — The France Canyon fire has increased to 23,353 acres and is currently at 10% containment, according to the latest information posted by the U.S. Forest Service – Dixie National Forest. Officials say fire activity increased at around 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, pushing eastward into the Kings Creek Campground area. Firefighters had to conduct a tactical firing operation to protect the campground. A total of 749 personnel are battling the fire and working on securing structures within Wilson Peak, the Hillsdale and Johnson Canyons. Firefighters are also working to keep the fire west of East Fork Road. Efforts are also underway to protect the Bryce Woodland community on the southwest side of the wildfire perimeter.

Read More

Forest fires in Southwest New Mexico force evacuations, emergency orders

By Roz Brown
Kiowa County Press
June 21, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

Forest fires have broken out in parts of New Mexico that state forecasters had already warned would see an elevated wildfire risk this summer due to high temperatures, low snowpack and ongoing drought. At least 25 New Mexico jurisdictions imposed some level of fire restriction this spring. State Forester Laura McCarthy said the peak of fire season is still a week away, beginning June 26. …On Tuesday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in response to the Trout Fire, which is burning in the Gila National Forest, forcing residents to evacuate. The Buck Fire also has burned more than 57,000 acres in the same area of Southwest New Mexico. The governor has urged localities to ban fireworks and restrict water usage. …”If you look at every single big fire we’ve had, there was either a lightning strike or a person behind it,” she added.

Read More

A wildfire near Bryce Canyon grows, with high winds, rough terrain hindering containment efforts

By Brooke Larsen
The Salt Lake Tribune
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

@USDA

Hot, dry and windy conditions are putting much of Southern Utah at higher risk for wildfires. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the region through Monday evening, and the France Canyon Fire — the largest wildfire in the state — has grown to 2,159 acres and is just 0% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. “Fire behavior is expected to increase,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a press statement Monday afternoon. …The France Canyon Fire was first discovered 6.5 miles south of Hatch in Dixie National Forest on June 11. Officials suspect the blaze was started by lightning. Five hundred acres of active fire are burning in the Black Butte area on the Paunsaugunt Plateau west of Bryce Canyon National Park. Visitors to Bryce, as well as surrounding communities such as Tropic and Escalante may experience significant smoke impacts as wind gusts increase.

Read More

French warned of high-risk summer for wildfires as Marseille blaze contained

By Jon Henley
The Guardian
July 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

More than 15,000 residents of Marseille confined to their homes have been allowed out after a wildfire on the outskirts of France’s second city was brought under control, but officials have warned the country faces an exceptionally high-risk summer. Fanned by gale-force winds and kindled by parched vegetation, several fires have burned swathes of southern France in recent days, including Tuesday’s just north of the port city. The weather service has said the weeks ahead could be critical. “The fire is receding, but with a blaze this severe, over this big an area, it’s clear there may be fresh flare-ups, flames can jump, embers can reignite,” the prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Georges-François Leclerc, said on Wednesday.

Read More

Marseille fire forces hundreds to evacuate, destroys homes and grounds flights

By Jon Henley and Sam Jones
The Guardian
July 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Bruno Retailleau

A fast-moving wildfire on the outskirts of France’s second-largest city, Marseille, has destroyed homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate, as a heatwave and dangerous fire conditions grip the Mediterranean. Interior minister Bruno Retailleau said the fire around Marseille could be contained overnight if the gale-force winds fanning the flames weaken, as expected. So far, 400 people had been evacuated, around a dozen houses destroyed and 63 others damaged, Retailleau said. …“But there are all the reasons to think we are headed towards a summer of high risk.” Local media reported that the cause appeared to have been a vehicle that caught fire on the A552 motorway. …City hall said 720 firefighters, including dozens from neighbouring departments, were battling the blaze with 220 emergency vehicles, helped by helicopters and water-bombing planes. About 350 hectares of land had been consumed by late afternoon.

Additional coverage from the BBC: More than 100 hurt as efforts to contain Marseille wildfire continue

Read More

Firefighters see ‘favorable progress’ in Paüls wildfire as 18,000 remain confined

Catalan News
July 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

© femturisme.cat

Catalonia, Spain — Firefighters on Tuesday evening reported “favorable progress” regarding the wildfire burning since Monday in Paüls (Baix Ebre county, southern Catalonia), which has forced 18,000 people from several municipalities to shelter in place. The arrival of the sea breeze changed the fire’s behavior, and the firefighters have achieved their key priority: preventing the flames from entering Ports Natural Park. Their current goal is to stabilize the fire – which has affected about 3,200 hectares – between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. …Fire department inspector Francesc Xavier Boya also explained that the afternoon brought challenges when a wildfire in central Catalonia broke out, forcing resources to be redirected to the new emergency. “We couldn’t afford to face tomorrow with two large fires, so the strategy was to allocate whatever was needed to the new fire,” the inspector explained. …The affected forested area is full of ravines and valleys, making access very challenging.

Read More

Firefighters across Europe battle wildfires as blazes continue in Germany, Greece and Turkey

By David O’Sullivan
Euronews
July 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Firefighters across Europe continue to battle forest fires amid blistering heatwaves, as blazes broke out in Germany, Greece and Turkey on Saturday. Hundreds of German firefighters have been battling blazes for days in the forested regions of Thuringia and Saxony, including the Gohrischheide nature reserve near the Brandenburg border. …Firefighters in Greece made progress in containing a wildfire that broke out on Friday afternoon in eastern Attica. …Strong winds and dry conditions have raised the risk of wildfires across Greece, prompting heightened vigilance by emergency services. In Turkey, firefighters have reportedly brought several large wildfires under control in the western Izmir province. …Ground crews, supported by planes and helicopters, worked around the clock for three days to contain the fires, according to the Turkish forestry directorate. …Turkey also reportedly sent two aircraft and 11 fire engines along with support vehicles to Syria on Saturday to help in the firefighting efforts there.

Read More

Thousands flee wildfires in Turkey as Europe is hit by early heatwave

Reuters in the Chronicle Herald
June 30, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

ISTANBUL/PARIS/BRUSSELS – Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey and France on Monday and more than 50,000 people were evacuated as an early summer heatwave hit Europe. Health alerts were issued in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Even the Netherlands, used to a milder climate, issued a warning for high temperatures in the coming days, coupled with high humidity. “Large parts of Western Europe are experiencing extreme heat and heatwave conditions that are normally observed in July or August, rather than June,” said the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. …In Turkey, wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from five regions, including more than 42,000 in Izmir, Turkey’s AFAD emergency management authority said.

Read More