Category Archives: Forest Fires

Forest Fires

Map shows areas of Canada most affected by wildfires

By Swikar Oli
The National Post
July 20, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada

There are 883 wildfires active across the country as of Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Of those, 544 are burning out of control, while 135 are classified as “being held,” which means the fire is expected to be contained under expected conditions within a given boundary. The 204 remaining fires are considered under control. …Some “fortunate rain” in Quebec over the past two weeks has helped agencies reallocate their resources, said Bruce Macnab at NRCan. “It’s allowing us to focus a little more on British Columbia.” As of Thursday morning, B.C. has 383 active wildfires, more than 200 of which are considered out of control. …A daily map of active wildfires shows some of the most intense hotspots in B.C. and Alberta occurring near the U.S. border. …Alberta has 117 active fires, the second-highest in the country. Quebec has the third most, with 98 active fires, followed by Northwest Territories with 96.

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International firefighters bring energy — and expertise — to B.C.’s worst season

By Kate Patridge
CBC News
August 2, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

White trucks fill a parking lot down a dusty road next to the airport in Vanderhoof, B.C. It’s usually a sleepy place with just a few Cessnas flying in and out. But in recent months the parking lot has transformed into a home base for firefighters attached to the Vanderhoof-Fort St. James wildfire complex in Central B.C. This is where incoming international firefighters meet their beleaguered local counterparts, a welcome relief for those who have been on the front lines for weeks and sometimes months. Out of nearly 250 firefighters deployed to the wildfire complex right now, there are almost 100 international personnel alongside another 75 from the Canadian Armed Forces. The international teams, mostly from Mexico, the U.S., and Australia, bring an injection of energy and morale, and often a wealth of experience.

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August can be the most challenging month for B.C. wildfires, says Minister Ma

By Lauren Collins and Wolfgang Depner
Cowichan Valley Citizen
August 2, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

As wildfires spread south and closer to urban areas during what could be the most difficult month for wildfires, the provincial government will spare no cost and effort. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma and Forest Minister Bruce Ralston delivered that message during the latest update on the wildfire and drought situation. …”As the wildfires begin to move further south, we will see more populations impacted as well, which means the increased likelihood of more evacuation alerts and orders,” Ma said. …Perhaps the most illustrative example of Ma’s prediction was the evacuation of parts of Osoyoos last weekend as the Eagle Bluff fire spread aggressively across the border with the United States into the Canada. That fires continues to grow, but the evacuation zone has shrunk as the fire moves away. “We will do what it takes and to spend whatever it takes to fight these wildfires and support communities through these evacuations,” she said.

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Yukon’s wildfire season ‘escalated dramatically’ over last week, with 80 new start

CBC News
July 31, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Yukon’s wildfire season has taken a turn for the worse in recent days, according to emergency officials, with 80 new fires sparked in the last week.  And with more lightning expected in the coming days, officials are bracing for still more — while preparing for the possibility that there’s no available firefighting help from outside the territory.  “This territory’s wildfire season has escalated dramatically in the recent days, due to lightning activity,” said Mike Fancie, Yukon’s fire information officer, at a briefing on Monday afternoon.  More than half of those new fires — 42 — are in the Dawson fire district, and 20 are in the Old Crow district.   No Yukon communities are currently at risk, officials said. There are still three evacuation alerts in place, for the Dublin Gulch area near Keno City, the Sixtymile area south of Top of the World Highway, and from kilometres 10 to 35 of the Silver Trail.

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Evacuation alert lifted for 55 Shuswap properties near Adams Lake wildfire

By Rebecca Willson
Nelson Star
August 1, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Some evacuation alerts affecting residents near a large Shuswap wildfire have been rescinded. As of Tuesday, Aug. 1, Lower East Adams Lake wildfire, 21 kilometres north of Chase, at grown to 2,527 hectares, reported the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) website. A previous 2,000-hectare estimate was downsized last week to 1,821. The fire did not show any significant growth towards populated areas to the south, and on July 31, the decision was made to move Structure Protection Units to Osoyoos and the Ross Moore Lake fire near Kamloops. Evacuation alerts affecting properties south of the Adams Lake blaze were amended due to the fire’s growth away from structures.

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Eagle Bluff Wildfire grows to more than 3,000 hectares in Osoyoos

By Logan Lockhart
Penticton Western News
August 1, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Although the Eagle Bluff Wildfire in Osoyoos has grown to more than 3,000 hectares, several evacuation orders and hundreds of alerts were rescinded on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 1. Around 500 evacuated residents got to go home on Monday, with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen lifting additional evacuation orders on Tuesday. There are a total of 191 properties currently on order, with 48 of those located within the town of Osoyoos. The RDOS also rescinded evacuation alerts for more than 1,600 properties. A total of 969 properties remain on evacuation alert, according to Erick Thompson from the RDOS’ Emergency Operations Centre. …Shaelee Stearns, information officer at BC Wildfire Service says there was “limited growth” overnight along the east flank of the fire, the side closest to the town of Osoyoos.

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Some relief for residents as evacuation order reduced for wildfire burning near Osoyoos, B.C.

CBC News
July 31, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hundreds of people are being allowed to return to their homes in Osoyoos in southern British Columbia after winds pushed back a wildfire that threatened the town over the weekend. The town endured a terrifying night on Saturday after the Eagle Bluff fire crossed the border with the United States and surged over hills overlooking Osoyoos. However, Environment Canada is forecasting winds of up to 20 kilometres an hour blowing northwest throughout the day — the right direction to push the flames away from town. …Erick Thompson of the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen said Monday afternoon that there are 192 properties now on evacuation order, down from 732. But over 2,600 homes are under evacuation alert, and their residents must be ready to leave at short notice. …BCWS Information Officer Shaelee Stearns said crews are keeping a close eye on the situation and that 50 firefighters and air support are working to keep the blaze at bay.

Additional coverage in Penticton Western News by Brennan Phillips: ‘It’s good to be home’ Evacuation orders lifted for 540 Osoyoos properties

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Lightning ignites new fire north of 2,000-hectare blaze near Chase

By Lachlan Labere
Victoria News
July 28, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

…The Taylor Creek wildfire was discovered Wednesday evening on the lake’s east side, south of Momich Lakes Park. As of late Thursday morning, July 27, the fire was estimated to be .1 hectares in size. Lightning was the suspected cause.  Southeast of the Taylor Creek fire, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) maintained aerial efforts to control the 2,000-hectare Lower East Adams Lake fire.  Late Thursday afternoon, the Shuswap Emergency Program (SEP) issued an update on the fire and the work being done. Reduced fire behaviour was supporting firefighting efforts and, according to the BCWS, there was no expectation of fire behaviour increasing at the time.  “The reduction in fire behaviour is allowing BCWS to attack the fire more directly with air resources,” said SEP. “This means aircraft are better able to work on the front of the fire, helping to reduce its spread.”

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Leave forest firefighting to the professionals

Letter by Dean Soiland, Prince George
Prince George Citizen
July 29, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Due to the extreme fire situation the province finds itself in, it has many people wondering why untrained people are not being told to go on the fire lines. I am a trained and certified forest firefighter and fought fires from 1985-1996, so I do understand and know what I am talking about.   Putting untrained people on the fire line is very dangerous and a hazard to anyone around them. I should know as when I fought, I usually was the only trained person on the crew aside from the crew boss. The rest were off the street, as that was common practice at the time.  The problem with that is you have a crew of untrained people that didn’t have proper clothing or footwear and then you give them a shovel, pulaski tool or a hose can and tell them to make a fire line. 

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Evacuation order issued for western Canadian town as wildfire crosses over from US

By Jesse Winter
Reuters
July 31, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

OSOYOOS, British Columbia — An evacuation order for the Canadian town of Osoyoos and its surrounding district in the province of British Columbia had been issued late Saturday night due to an out-of-control wildfire that has crossed the border from the U.S. state of Washington. The wildfire, called Eagle Bluff, is approximately 4 kilometres from Osoyoos and is currently estimated to be 885 hectares in size on the Canadian side of the border, according to the BC Wildfire Service. It was estimated to be around 2,000 hectares in size on the U.S. side by the BC Wildfire Service. Osoyoos has an area population of about 6,700. …The Eagle Bluff Wildfire burned across the Canada-U.S. border from the State of Washington. …The evacuation order covers the area north of the Canada-United States border to the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 3, as well as west and north along Highway 3.

Additional coverage in:

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With better visibility, air tankers fully join the fight to control Northwest Territories wildfire

By April Hudson
CBC News
July 28, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The smoke from the wildfire that burned four homes in Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories, has cleared enough that air tankers can start working in full force to slow the fire’s growth. Until now, terrible visibility has meant only small bits of the giant, 1,140-square-kilometre wildfire have been accessible by air. On Friday morning, fire information officer Mike Westwick said Thursday’s reprieve from fierce winds has allowed crews to get “into a roll.” They’re building a perimeter around Rae (one portion of Behchokǫ, formerly Rae-Edzo), turning some of their attention back to Highway 3 and starting to look at the east side of the fire burning 45 kilometres west of Yellowknife. …The fire is still burning very actively on both sides of Highway 3, where it’s gobbled up a 34-kilometre stretch of land along the road and, to the south, has burned to the shores of Great Slave Lake in places.

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B.C. crews hopeful heavy rain can dampen massive Donnie Creek wildfire

Canadian Press by Victoria News
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

©Canadian Press/AP-Noah Berger

Crews fighting British Columbia’s largest-ever wildfire are hoping a “heavy, prolonged rain” in the forecast can help them turn the corner on the massive blaze. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the northeastern corner of the province where the Donnie Creek fire has burned close to 6,000 square kilometres of forest land. The weather statement says a low-pressure system over Alberta will interact with the east Rockies, leading to heavy rain in northeastern B.C., creating accumulation of up to 70 millimetres until Thursday morning. Prince George Fire Centre Information Officer Julia Caranci says the rain in the forecast is “very good news,” but they remain cautious because it may not fall evenly across the large area of the fire.

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Over 1,000 properties on evacuation alert after wildfire breaks out near Invermere, Radium Hot Springs

By Michael Rodriguez
The Calgary Herald
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

©BC Wildfire Service

Twenty-five properties have been ordered evacuated and more than 1,000 are on alert as wildfire crews battle a 300-hectare blaze near Invermere and Radium Hot Springs in B.C., popular destinations for Alberta tourists. The Horsethief Creek wildfire is burning on the side of Bruce Mountain, about seven kilometres north of Panorama Mountain Resort and 10 kilometres west of Invermere. The out-of-control blaze was first spotted Monday, growing to 70 hectares before swelling to 300 overnight. The exact size of the blaze as of Tuesday morning was unclear, with the B.C. Wildfire Service stating accurate tracking wasn’t possible due to smoke and challenging flying conditions. The fire is expected to grow. “This fire is suspected to be lightning-caused and aggressive fire behaviour is being driven by a cold front causing southwest winds that are gusting in the 45-km/h range,” the B.C. Wildfire Service said in an update on its website.

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Ross Moore Lake wildfire claims one structure as rain, winds arrive in Kamloops area

By Michael Potestio
Kamloops This Week
July 24, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Ross Moore Lake wildfire continues to expand and is now just 10 kilometres south of Kamloops city limits as a major rain and windstorm blows through the city on the evening of July 24. At about 9 p.m., strong winds and heavy rain arrived in parts of the city, with the winds strong enough to toss patio furniture around. Weather radar shows rain falling in the vicinity of the fire and expected to continue to at least midnight. The lightning-caused wildfire, which was discovered on the afternoon of July 21, is now estimated at 2,600 hectares in size as July 24, up from a previous estimate of 1,800 hectares. …Kamloops Fire Centre fire information officer Shaelee Stearns said the fire remains burning out of control. …Meanwhile, two wildfires burning on either side of Adams Lake remain classified as out of control.

Additional coverage in CTV News by Regan Hasegawa: Evacuation order due to fast-growing Kamloops wildfire expands by hundreds 

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Highly-visible wildfire breaks out near Invermere and Radium Hot Springs, B.C.

By Simon Little
Global News
July 24, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new, highly-visible wildfire broke out just west of Invermere and Radium Hot Springs in southeastern B.C. on Monday. The Horsethief Creek fire is burning on the slope of Mt. Bruce, about seven kilometres north of the Panorama Mountain Resort and 10 kilometres west of Invermere. Started by lightning, it was discovered Monday and has grown to 70 hectares in size. “Aggressive fire behaviour is being driven by a cold front causing southwest winds that are gusting in the 45 kilometre an hour range,” the wildfire service said. …Late Monday, the Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation order for 25 properties in the Horsethief Creek and Bear Mountain area due to the Horsethief Creek fire in the Columbia Valley. …As of Monday, 677 properties remained under evacuation alert and 51 others remained under evacuation order from the St. Mary’s River fire near Cranbrook. …Further east, crews also battled the Lladnar Creek wildfire, just west of Sparwood.

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‘Increased fire activity’: Wildfire near Cranbrook grows to 3,300 hectares

By Darrian Matassa-Fung
Global News
July 22, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A wildfire burning near the B.C. community of Cranbrook in the St. Mary’s River is an estimated 3,342 hectares, up from 2,600 hectares on Friday. Officials said the fire is continuing to grow. “With the increased fire activity on the Northeast corner, the size is expected to change again the next time a track can be taken,” BC Wildfire staff said in an update. “Fire has (been) spotted across the Kootenay River onto the Bummers Flats on the East side of the river. Crews are working in the area to contain the spot with assistance from aviation resources when visibility permits.” …The St. Mary’s River fire was discovered Monday and is burning about 10 kilometres northeast of the East Kootenay community, primarily on ʔaq’am reserve land. At least seven homes on the reserve have been destroyed. Nearly 70 homes are on evacuation order, while another 135 are on evacuation alert.

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Wildfire crews burn area around B.C. airport to protect it from encroaching blaze

By Dirk Meissner
The Canadian Press in the National Post
July 22, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

CRANBROOK, BC — The forest and brush around the international airport at Cranbrook, B.C., has been scorched in an all-out effort to protect the vital transportation link from an encroaching wildfire, airport manager Tristen Chernove said Friday. Wildfire crews were at the Canadian Rockies International Airport in southeastern B.C. overnight Friday monitoring the fires that were purposely lit as a guard from the out-of-control St. Mary’s River fire, he said. …He said flights were arriving and departing Friday, but heavy smoke has resulted in some cancellations. The BC Wildfire Service recommended Thursday that City of Cranbrook properties and leased areas at the airport be placed under an evacuation alert. The Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation alert for 71 dwellings. Earlier this week, several homes at the Cranbrook area’s Aq’am First Nation were destroyed by the same wildfire.

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Wildfire near Kamloops triggers evacuation orders, alerts

CTV News
July 24, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

An out-of-control wildfire near Kamloops has triggered evacuation orders and alerts impacting hundreds of properties. On Sunday, the Ross Moore Lake wildfire was estimated at 1,800 hectares and was continuing to burn out of control. It is located roughly 24 kilometres south of Kamloops and highly visible from the city as well as the highway, according to the BC Wildfire Service. The Thompson –Nicola Regional District ordered 49 properties to evacuate Saturday and placed another 327 on alert. …The fire was discovered Friday but grew significantly Saturday due to hot, dry and windy conditions, the BCWS said in a social media post. It is suspected to be lightning caused.

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Little reprieve for firefighters in B.C. as wildfire threat moves south

CBC News
July 23, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

©Bob Bennison

Hundreds of wildfires continue to burn in B.C, with some of the most concerning blazes now in the southern half of the province, as more international resources pour in to help with the fight.  The province is in the midst of a wildfire season that is already the worst on record when it comes to area burned, with 14,800 square kilometres charred. The B.C. Wildfire Service says some rain is expected to help firefighters in northern B.C., where most of B.C.’s fires of note — those that pose a threat to public safety or are publicly visible — are burning. However, two fires of note are burning close to communities in the Interior. One of them, the Ross Moore Lake fire south of Kamloops, B.C., more than doubled in size overnight — going from seven square kilometres to 18 square kilometres. …Just northeast of Cranbrook, more than 660 properties are on evacuation alert and 51 homes have been ordered to evacuate…

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47 forest fires burning in Manitoba this weekend, impacting air quality and visibility

By Judy Peters
Steinback Online
July 23, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Environment Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement due to wildfire smoke causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. According to the Manitoba Government website, there are 47 active forest fires in Manitoba and one of them is burning out of control. That one is located north of Grand Rapids. It was detected 23 days ago, on June 29, covering 18,562 hectares. Most of the forest fires, 35, are located in northern Manitoba, while eight are burning in the western region and four are located in eastern Manitoba.

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After ‘historic’ fires, Cree fire marshal wants more training for community members

By Jacob Serebrin
CTV Montreal
July 26, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

As the threat to northern Quebec Cree communities from historic wildfires diminishes, the Cree Nation’s top firefighter is looking to a future where destructive blazes like those that have been burning for weeks become more common. In hopes of reducing such losses in the future, Blacksmith is pushing to get more Cree trained as auxiliary forest firefighters. This month,70 people have gone through the training — 40 from inland communities where the fires are no longer a threat and 30 from the coastal communities near where fires continue to burn. The last group finished their training last week, he said, and were scheduled to be deployed within days. He said it took years to get Quebec’s forest fire prevention agency, SOPFEU, to agree to the training for his people. “We had to push them, we had to keep asking,” he said. Now he wants to expand it to ensure necessary resources are available.

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As Joshua trees burn, massive wildfire threatens to forever alter Mojave Desert

By Grace Toohey
Los Angeles Times
August 1, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

As firefighters battle a massive wildfire in the eastern Mojave Desert, national park officials and ecologists are preparing for habitat losses that are likely to alter the landscape forever.  “We’ve lost a huge area of native vegetation,” said Debra Hughson, deputy superintendent for the Mojave National Preserve. “A lot of pinyon [pines], junipers gone forever, and a lot of the Joshua trees, likely.”  California’s largest wildfire of the year has grown to over 80,000 acres in the desert around the southern Nevada border, burning primarily in the national preserve, located in southeastern California. Aided by brief rain, crews made the first real inroads against the York fire after sunset Monday — reporting 23% containment by Tuesday morning — but officials remain worried the fragile landscape might never fully bounce back.  “Recovery is really not a meaningful term here in the desert because of the global change going on,” Hughson said.

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Western Montana fires grow; Libby Asbestos Forest burning

By Joshua Murdock and Zoe Buchli
Helena Independent Record
August 1, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Missoulians awoke Monday to a scene reminiscent of last September, when for a couple weeks smoke from around the West choked the air and turned the sun red. Except this time it was only late July, with two months of fire season left. And this time, the smoke came primarily from a swath of fires burning locally in western Montana and Idaho, one of which burned in Libby’s notorious Asbestos Forest. Another closed the main fork of the Salmon River. Many of those fires were sparked by lightning as storms passed over northwest Montana Sunday. Some quickly exploded to hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of acres within a few hours. Meanwhile, Sunday’s 4-acre fire in a Lolo residential area smoked out Lolo as it burned through mobile homes, campers, sheds and vehicles. According to fire investigators, it was human-caused, but an accident.

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Oregon wildfire updates: Bedrock Fire closure expands, Flat Fire grows to 14% containment

By Bigail Landwehr
The Salem Statesman Journal
July 31, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Since the start of June, 197 fires caused by human activity or an undetermined start have sprung up across Oregon and Washington. That number has more than doubled from summer 2022 when there were 86 human-caused or undetermined fires recorded, according to the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service. …Three large wildfires are drawing Oregon resources and efforts. Here’s the update on the fires throughout the state: Bedrock Fire grows to 9,568 acres, major closure expands in Willamette National Forest. …Still the largest wildfire in Oregon, the Flat Fire acreage was listed at 25,572 by Monday while containment grew to 14%. The fire team said there were no infrared flight overnight, and updated acreage will be added as soon as possible. …Golden Fire burned 43 homes, may have ignited from illegal marijuana grow.

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July keeps sizzling as Phoenix hits another 110-degree day and wildfires spread in California

By Walter Berry
Associated Press
July 30, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

PHOENIX — Phoenix sizzled through its 31st consecutive day of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) and other parts of the country grappled Sunday with record temperatures after a week that saw significant portions of the U.S. population subject to extreme heat. The National Weather Service said Phoenix climbed to a high of 111 F (43.8 Celsius) before the day was through. July has been so steamy thus far that scientists calculate it will be the hottest month ever recorded and likely the warmest human civilization has seen. The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday proclaimed July beyond record-smashing. …On Sunday, a massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve spread rapidly amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the south that prompted evacuations.

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Wildfires close roads and create havoc

By Michele Nelson
Payson Roundup
July 28, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

The sporadic and brief showers have brought relief from the spat of wildfires throughout Northern Arizona this week, but more likely fires with stray lightning strikes. During the July 22 weekend, Rim Country local Kim Chittick snapped some photos of the flames from the Diamond Fire that has since caused the evacuation of Sunflower. Fortunately, the forecast calls for a 20% chance of rain in Payson by the end of the last week of July, through Saturday. That chance of storms increases to 40% on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday the first week of August. And with a little luck, those storms could reduce the number of what seems endless series of brush fires that have closed Hwy. 87 from Phoenix to Pine off and on for the last few weeks.

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Fire danger raised to “extreme” on Kootenai National Forest

KPAX Western Missoula News
July 28, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

LIBBY – The fire danger level has been raised to “extreme” on the Kootenai National Forest. “With the weekend here and more hot days in sight, please use caution while out recreating,” a social media post states. “Due to the hot, dry conditions, the fire danger on the forest has been elevated to Extreme.” Additionally, Stage I Fire Restrictions go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2023, across the Kootenai National Forest, Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation – Northwestern Land Office, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 1, and Lincoln County, Flathead County, and Sanders County. No campfires are allowed on the Kootenai National Forest, even at designated recreation sites.

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Fire danger goes to very high and extreme, restrictions ordered

By Joshua Murdock
The Billings Gazette
July 27, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Fire danger has increased across western Montana and central Idaho — and some restrictions have been enacted — after a handful of new wildfires exploded to hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of acres this week and last. On Monday, the Missoula County Fire Protection Association — a consortium of local governments, fire agencies and land management agencies — raised fire danger across the county to “very high,” the second-highest of five levels. …Surrounding those areas, most of the national forests of western Montana and central Idaho also moved to very high fire danger, including the Lolo, Bitterroot and Flathead forests in Montana, and the Nez Perce-Clearwater and Salmon-Challis forests in Idaho. The Kootenai National Forest in far northwest Montana, meanwhile, was in extreme fire danger — the highest level. …The increase in danger comes as hot, dry and windy weather continues to dry fire fuels.

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Oregon wildfire updates: Bedrock Fire burns 4,488 acres, federal funds for Golden Fire

By Abigail Landwehr and Zach Urness
Salem Statesman Journal
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

©Chris Pietsch

The Bedrock Fire, rapidly growing in the popular upper Fall Creek area east of Eugene, grew to 4,488 acres by Tuesday morning. Wind and extreme fire behavior Sunday was responsible for the fire’s spread, and that trend continued much of Monday as the fire sent smoke into Central Oregon. The fire first ignited Saturday at the Bedrock Campground… No official cause has been listed. …The fire is in timber and rugged terrain and expected to continue burning due to hot and dry conditions. …More than 1,400 fire personnel are now on Oregon’s largest wildfire, the Flat Fire, which grew to 22,697 acres by Monday. The fire’s growth has slowed in the past few days. The fire is burning near the town of Agness near the confluence of the Illinois and Rogue rivers. In Sunday’s report, the fire was listed as “human caused” for the first time. The fire ignited at Oak Flat Campground. 

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Oregon wildfires: New Bedrock Fire east of Springfield estimated at 100 acres

By Zach Urness
Statesman Journal
July 22, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Already-burning Oregon wildfires brought evacuation orders on Saturday while new blazes sparked during a hot and dry day across the state.  Here’s the latest on the major fires burning across the state.  Already-burning Oregon wildfires brought evacuation orders on Saturday while new blazes sparked during a hot and dry day across the state.  Here’s the latest on the major fires burning across the state.  “Fire behavior is active in timber,” a fire update late Saturday night said. Smoke could be visible from Highway 58 and the towns of Lowell and Jasper in coming days.  Firefighters “are engaged in suppression efforts and point protection on buildings on private land,” the update added.

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Montana Colt fire digs in near Lake Inez

By Rob Chaney
The Missoulian
July 23, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

MISSOULA, Montana — Wildfires both north and south of Missoula heralded the end of a relaxed summer this weekend as hot temperatures drove firefighters off their own lines. The Colt fire north of Seeley Lake expanded to nearly 1,500 acres on Saturday after a day of active burning near Lindbergh Lake. …According to the Montana Department of Resources and Conservation, which oversaw firefighting operations during the fire’s first week, fire activity Thursday afternoon caused crews to disengage. Firefighters working the fire at the time reported extreme fire behavior and rapid spread in particularly hot and dry conditions. The DNRC said no injuries were reported among firefighters after fire activity forced them to disengage. The fire has drawn the full aerial defense force from single-engine air tankers to Very Large Air Tankers along with helicopters and heavy equipment on the ground to contain its spread.

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Oregon wildfire updates: Boulder Fire 100% contained, Flat Fire grows to 15,217 acres

By Abigail Landwehr
The Statesman Journal
July 20, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Here’s the latest information on wildfires happening throughout the state. Flat Fire in southern Oregon grows to 15,217 acres. Growing 2 miles southeast of Agness, the Flat Fire burnt 15,217 acres on Thursday morning. The fire’s perimeter has been moving back and forth, also burning about an hour east of Gold Beach near the confluence of the Illinois and Rogue rivers. …The Haight Creek Fire is estimated to have burnt more than 100 acres southwest of Veneta, burning on Oregon Department of Forestry protected Bureau of Land Management land. Firefighting aircraft began scooping water from Fern Ridge Reservoir Wednesday afternoon to fight the fire’s spread near Alma. …Antelope Creek Fire – South of Antelope, the Antelope Creek Fire flared up Wednesday evening and is now 100% contained. …The 224 Fire – Now at 75% containment, the 224 Fire has not grown from 38 acres.

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‘Like a blowtorch’: Mediterranean on fire as blazes spread across nine countries

By Helen Sullivan and Lorenzo Tondo
The Guardian
July 26, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Wildfires were burning in at least nine countries across the Mediterranean on Tuesday as blazes spread in Croatia, Italy and Portugal, with thousands of firefighters in Europe and north Africa working to contain flames stoked by high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds. At least 34 people were killed in Algeria, where 8,000 firefighters on Tuesday battled blazes across the tinder-dry north. Fires burned in a total of 15 provinces, leading to the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from their properties. Witnesses described fleeing walls of flames that raged “like a blowtorch”, destroying homes and coastal resorts and turning vast forest areas into blackened wastelands. …Wildfires also broke out in the woodlands of Latakia, a governorate on the Mediterranean in north-western Syria, and helicopters are being used to extinguish fires. …Italy has been hit by violent storms and wildfires. At least seven people were killed on Tuesday after storms in the north and wildfires in Sicily.

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Deadly fires rage along Algeria coast, spread to Tunisia

Reuters
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

ALGIERS – Algeria was battling to contain devastating forest fires along its Mediterranean coast on Tuesday, in an inferno which has killed at least 34 people, authorities said, adding they had managed to control about four-fifths of the blaze. Fanned by strong winds, fires had also spread to neighbouring Tunisia, forcing the closure of two border crossings. A relentless heatwave has caused havoc across the planet this month, with temperatures breaking records in China, the United States, southern Europe and North Africa, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. …The fires broke out in several provinces in Algeria on Monday, ripping through forests, olive groves and low-lying shrubland. More than 8,000 firefighters were deployed to bring the flames under control. Ten of the 34 victims reported on Monday were soldiers. Authorities said they had evacuated some 1,500 people from their homes. Temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) were recorded in some cities in Tunisia this week.

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Hundreds of firefighters scramble to put out Portugal wildfire

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira
Reuters
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

©Pedro Nunes

CASCAIS, Portugal – Aided by local residents, hundreds of Portuguese firefighters scrambled on Tuesday to put out flames sweeping across a natural park near the popular holiday destination of Cascais, with strong winds complicating efforts to tackle the blaze. The wildfire started at 5 p.m. in a mountainous area that is part of the Sintra-Cascais natural park, which covers around 145 square kilometres of land and is located west of the capital Lisbon. Backed by 189 vehicles, more than 600 firefighters were brought in after the fire erupted. Water-bombing planes also battled the blaze but had to stop operating as the night set in. …”The fear now is that it will get to the houses,” said 34-year-old Ines Figueiredo as smoke filled the air. “We try to help as much as we can with buckets (of water)… but it’s not worth much.”

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Greece fires: Two pilots die after firefighting plane crashes

By Emily McGarvey
BBC News
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Two Greek air force pilots have died after a plane crashed while fighting wildfires on the Greek island of Evia, officials say. The water-bombing plane crashed while battling a forest fire near Platanistos, the defence ministry said. The pilots were named as 34-year-old Cdr Christos Moulas and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis. …Greek TV showed the Canadair aircraft flying low to drop water on a fire before turning sharply into a hillside and bursting into flames. State broadcaster ERT said the plane crashed over the town of Karystos on the island, where a fire was burning. …Emergency teams were fighting flames non-stop on dozens of fronts on Tuesday, Greek government minister Vassilis Kikilias said. Crete has been put on high alert, with residents warned there is an “extreme risk” of fire. …Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, the Italian island of Sicily has been battling fires overnight after weeks of record-breaking temperatures.

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Greece fires – live: Tourists in Rhodes and Corfu evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires

By Tara Cobham
The Independent
July 25, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Croatia is battling wildfires as thousands of tourists have flee Rhodes and Corfu amid blazes ravaging Greece. A firefighting plane is dropping water on a mountain side in Župa Dubrovačka in Croatia after a wildfire broke out last night. …It comes as 20,000 people had to leave homes and hotels in Rhodes over the weekend as the inferno that began a week ago spread, while over 2,000 holidaymakers returned home by plane on Monday. After the blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, civil protection authorities warned of “extreme risk” of wildfires on the island of Crete, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, which has been enduring dozens of blazes. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Monday the country was “at war” and said on Tuesday the next days would be difficult, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday. …A plane fighting wildfires in Greece has crashed as blazes ravage the country.

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Wildfires break out on Corfu and Evia as 19,000 flee Rhodes blazes

The Guardian
July 24, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

GREECE — Firefighters in Greece were struggling to contain 82 wildfires burning across the country, 64 of which started on Sunday, the hottest day of the summer so far. As well as huge blazes on the island of Rhodes, which forced 19,000 to flee, wildfires also broke out on the islands of Evia and Corfu. On Evia, authorities told residents of four southern villages to evacuate to the town of Karystos, west of where the fire was advancing. …Other fires requiring evacuations broke out on the north-east side of the island of Corfu and in the northern Peloponnese region, near the town of Aigio. Just before midnight on Sunday, authorities called for more evacuations from Corfu and the northern Peloponnese. …The European Union has sent substantial reinforcements to help Greek authorities battle the fires. Over 450 firefighters and seven airplanes from the EU have been operating in Greece.

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Southern Europe faces new heat wave as Greek fires burn on

Deutsche Welle (DW)
July 20, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

© Alkis Konstantinidis/REUTERS

Firefighting teams from Poland, Romania and Slovakia are due to arrive in Greece on Thursday to help local and other foreign emergency services combat fires near the capital, Athens, as EU climate authorities say the world seems on track for its hottest July since measurements began. …Israel has also said it will send two firefighting planes, adding to the four from Italy and France. The fires in Greece are being driven partly by hot summer weather, with temperatures in the country’s south expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the week. …On the island of Rhodes, a blaze in a forested mountain area continues to rage, with many residents forced to flee the flames. …The high temperatures in Europe come as several other world regions, including in the southern US, Iraq and China, experience extreme heat amid the northern hemisphere summer. 

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Switzerland closes air space as firefighters battle forest inferno

Naharnet
July 21, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Swiss authorities have temporarily shut the airspace over a small part of southwestern Switzerland because recreational gliders have endangered the work of emergency teams battling a persistent forest fire in the area. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation said Friday that the restriction in an airspace of up to about 2,400 meters, over a wooded mountainside near the town of Bitsch, will last a week. The measure affects civil aircraft and drones and is aimed “to protect the ongoing activities of response teams on the ground and in the air,” the office said. Office spokesman Christian Schubert said the closure affects about 40-50 square kilometers in an area that is popular with recreational gliders. The heads of local helicopter crews and firefighting squads requested the closure because of the dangers presented by the gliders to what was already risky work, Schubert said.

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