Category Archives: Forest Fires

Dozens of firefighters are battling an out-of-control blaze burning approximately five kilometres west of the village of Sayward, located about 230 kilometres north of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island’s east coast.  The Newcastle Creek fire covered 15 hectares on Monday evening but had grown to 90 hectares by Tuesday morning.  As of Tuesday afternoon, the B.C. Wildfire Service says its size remains about the same, but its status is still listed as out-of-control, with much of the region covered in smoke.  Sayward Maytor Mark Baker says the village is preparing for the possibility of evacuation.   …Fire information officer Julia Caranci says they have not issued an evacuation order as the fire is currently burning parallel to Sayward, not toward it.  She says there are 55 firefighters on the ground and three helicopters currently battling the fire. They are expecting cooler temperatures and higher humidity over the next few days.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The British Columbia Wildfire Service says a blaze north of Fort St. John has grown significantly, forcing renewed evacuation orders and alerts. The Donnie Creek wildfire charred an additional 275 square kilometres over the weekend. The fire, approximately 160 kilometres north of Fort St. John, remains out of control and is estimated to have burned a total of 1,575 square kilometres of trees and bush since it was sparked by lightning on May 12. Evacuation orders were issued Sunday by both the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and the Peace River Regional District for remote areas primarily used by oil and gas industry infrastructure and camps. …Large sections of coastal B.C., the central Interior and the northeast are now rated at a high to extreme wildfire danger as the weather office calls for a sunny, drying trend, and the wildfire service warns of possibly “significant fire activity” this week.

Seven new wildfires started in the past day in Alberta, largely due to lightning activity in the northern parts of the province. There were 57 active wildfires in Alberta as of Sunday afternoon’s update, with 17 considered out of control. Windy conditions are expected in northern Alberta Monday, with fire crews working to reinforce containment lines depending on those winds. “Elevated fire activity with shifting winds and warming temperatures,” said Bre Hutchinson, the executive director of Alberta Emergency Management Agency. “With dry conditions persisting, there’s still a chance that fire activity increases as the week progresses.” Higher humidity in some parts is expected to help firefighters on the ground. Another evacuation order was cancelled in the past 24 hours – for the MD of Greenview. Four evacuation orders remain active, with 5,257 Albertans still unable to return home. 

Two regional districts have issued evacuation orders in a sparsely populated part of northern B.C. due to the Donnie Creek fire, one of the largest fires that remains burning out of control in the province. The Donnie Creek blaze, burning southeast of Fort Nelson, covers an area of nearly 1,360 square kilometres (136,000 hectares) as of Sunday afternoon. In a statement, the Peace River Regional District says the order — which had been dialed down to an alert a few weeks ago due to improving weather conditions in the area — had been put back in place due to new recommendations from the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWFS). The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has also issued evacuation orders and alerts due to the nearby Klua Lakes fire, which is considered part of the Donnie Creek fire complex. …The wildfire service says that “columns of smoke” are likely to be highly visible along Highway 97 

A large wildfire has impacted thousands in the Cross Lake area, and led to the evacuation of a northern Manitoba community. Chief and council of Pimicikamak Cree Nation declared a state of emergency overnight as residents are threatened by a 1,200-hectare blaze — around the size of 2,300 football fields. Pimicikamak Chief David Monias told Global News that some community members are trying to find places to stay in Winnipeg, while others are waiting in Thompson and The Pas. Monias said the fire kept growing and getting too close for comfort. …Jason Small of the Canadian Red Cross told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg the organization is trying to find hotel rooms for all of the evacuees — with around 200 people already temporarily housed as of early Thursday morning.

Additional coverage in the CBC News by Darren Bernhardt: Some residents already returning after raging wildfire forces 7,000 people to flee Pimicikamak Cree Nation

The number of wildfires in Alberta is about half of what it was two-and-a-half weeks ago when the provincial government declared a state of emergency.  On Thursday afternoon, Alberta Wildfire was counting 55 wildfires in protected forest areas, including 16 which were considered out of control. When the provincial state of emergency was announced on May 6, 110 wildfires were burning across Alberta, including 37 that were out of control. To date, Alberta Wildfire has recorded some 523 wildfires this year. Altogether, they have burned more than a million hectares of land. Recent wet and cooler weather has helped the firefighting effort, but officials said the season is far from over and additional help continues to arrive. A Hercules air tanker with the capacity to hold 11,350 litres of water from California was scheduled to arrive in Alberta on Wednesday. Twenty-five firefighters from New Zealand and 200 from Australia are also expected to arrive this week. 

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says wildfires in the Peace region continue to show limited growth. There are two helicopters, 14 pieces of heavy equipment, and 28 structure protection personnel responding to the fires in the North Peace Complex, including the Stoddart Creek, Red Creek, Cameron River, and Boundary Lake wildfires. The Stoddart Creek wildfire is being held at 28,603 hectares. During the day, 157 firefighters have been working on the fire, while 19 are covering the night shift. According to BCWS, crews are working on mop-up and extinguishing hot spots in the fire’s northeast, east, and southeast flanks. In the northwest and the northeast, crews are patrolling the fire’s perimeter. …The air quality in Fort St. John is currently a low risk, and the special air quality statement was removed Wednesday morning. Evacuation orders in the region have been removed, while some alerts remain. 

Firefighters tackling Alberta’s rampant wildfires thanked the heavens for the precipitation seen over much of the province since the weekend. “Alberta is starting to see some cooler temperatures and scattered precipitation, helping to provide some relief to firefighters,” said Bre Hutchinson, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency during Tuesday’s daily provincial update on the wildfire situation. …Officials are reporting that progress is starting to be made during Alberta’s worst-ever wildfire season. “Due to the hard work of firefighters along with the weather, we have been able to reclassify the Sturgeon Lake Complex near Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and Valleyview from ‘out of control’ to ‘being held’,” said Christie Tucker, information unit manager with Alberta Wildfire. Alberta is still under a provincial state of emergency, however. 

Additional coverage in the CBC News, by Stephen Cook: Firefighters make progress on Alberta wildfires as more evacuees return home

EDMONTON — Wildfire officials say more than 10,000 square kilometres of land has burned in Alberta this year as dozens of wildfires continue across the province. Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire says the province has never seen this much wildfire activity in recorded history. Tucker says that in 1984, there was a record of 13,000 square kilometres burned over the entire fire season, which usually lasts from the beginning of March to the end of October. Scattered showers over the last week have given firefighters headway in battling the flames. There are 71 wildfires burning in Alberta, 20 of which are deemed out of control, and about 10,000 people are out of their homes in various communities. Bre Hutchinson, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, says the wildfire situation remains serious and all Albertans should remain vigilant, especially those who live in areas that under an evacuation alert.

Additional coverage in CBC: More than one million hectares of land in Alberta has burned

As fires blaze in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C., new research has drawn a direct and measurable link between carbon emissions traced back to the world’s major fossil fuel producers and the increase in extreme wildfires across western Canada and the United States.  The peer-reviewed study, published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters, found that 37 per cent of the total burned forest area in Western Canada and the United States between 1986-2021 can be traced back to 88 major fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers.  “What we found is that the emissions from these companies have dramatically increased wildfire activity,” said Carly Phillips, co-author on the study and a researcher at the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

…As of Tuesday afternoon, 74 wildfires were burning across the province. In Alberta’s forest protection zones, there were 71 wildfires — about 10 fewer than listed on Monday. Of these, 20 are still considered out of control.  At a news conference, Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker said cooler temperatures and continued rain showers have dampened wildfire behaviour.  “Many of the major wildfires burning received some rain, which means these are good days for firefighters to make real progress on containing these fires.”  But Tucker indicated that the province must be prepared for a longer engagement.  “Even though we have made headway on many wildfires on the landscape, we know that the season is far from over.”  ….This is now the second-worst wildfire season — which runs until October — on record, Tucker said. The previous record was set in 1981, when 1.3 million hectares burned.

Rain and thunderstorms in the forecast are expected to bring some relief to wildfires burning in central Alberta in the coming days. Warnings and watches for rainfall or thunderstorms covered much of the west and middle of the province by Sunday afternoon, including areas with some of the largest wildfires burning out of control. Environment Canada warned of a “long episode of rain, at times, heavy” and between 50 to 75 millimetres by Wednesday for a number of places including Edson, Whitecourt, Fox Creek, Slave Lake and Rocky Mountain House areas. Showers were expected to develop Sunday evening, intensify overnight, and continue into the middle of the week, potentially enough to cause flash floods and water pooling on the roads. …Christie Tucker, information unit manager for Alberta Wildfire, said rain and cooler temperatures Monday could help firefighters working in the middle of the province. 

Additional coverage in the CBC News by Mrinali Anchan: Smoke offers some relief for Alberta firefighters in wildfire battle

A new out-of-control wildfire in British Columbia’s Interior has sparked an evacuation order for a handful of properties near Quesnel, about 600 kilometres north of Vancouver.   The Cariboo Regional District says the Tzenzaicut Lake wildfire, discovered on Saturday, has become enough of a threat that an evacuation order has been issued for an area west of Highway 97.  Gerald Pinchbeck, the information officer for the regional district, told CBC News the order covers three properties in the area.  “If and when the conditions do change, if the fire continues to exhibit aggressive behaviour, we would look at issuing [more] evacuation orders … as necessary,” he said.  …According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, the Tzenzaicut blaze remains relatively small at about one square kilometre but has doubled in size since Saturday evening, and fire crews say the blaze was likely ignited by a lightning strike or other natural means.

Enough rain to prompt a warning is expected in the next few days across Alberta’s foothills and to the north of Edmonton. It’s perhaps not enough to put out wildfires completely, but may help firefighters catch their breath… “This could be a turning point for the firefighters working out there on the fires,” Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire said during Monday’s daily fire update. Environment Canada said 50 to 75 mm of rain is expected between Monday and Wednesday. …Rain showers will continue with rainfall intensifying Monday afternoon, the national weather agency said, adding widespread heavy rain will continue until the middle of the week. …Alberta Wildfire is hoping for long steady rain that will soak into the ground, rather than short bursts that will bring lightning that could start a new wildfire. …Lightning strikes have already been detected in the Edson and Grande Prairie areas, Tucker said on the weekend.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Stoddart Creek wildfire has grown by 500 hectares in the past 24 hours to approximately 22,067 hectares. According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), 121 firefighters are responding to the Stoddart Creek wildfire during the day,  and 48 are responding overnight. On Wednesday, crews completed a 300-hectare planned ignition operation to remove unburned fuels south of The Shepherd’s Inn off Highway 97. BCWS says the ignition secured the area, which had previously been inaccessible and was threatening infrastructure. Now crews can work on the fire’s edge from the road. On Thursday, crews will continue to utilize planned ignition operations where required as conditions allow.

Hannah Swift

Crews battling a 215-square-kilometre wildfire near Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia got some unexpected help in the fight. An information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service says the amount of smoke in the area was enough to provide a buffer from the sun’s heat, which had been expected to cause problems for crews at the Stoddart Creek blaze and others nearby. Hannah Swift said there was enough of a break in the smoke to allow crews to launch helicopters to fight the fire about 25 kilometres from Fort St. John. She said the blaze is not believed to have grown substantially in the last 24 hours. …The forecast suggests possible rain over the weekend, although Swift said there’s also the potential for thunderstorms, which could bring lightning.

An out-of-control wildfire that destroyed 20 homes in a northern Alberta Indigenous community has burned its way into Wood Buffalo National Park. The Paskwa Fire has burned 60,955 hectares of land so far. It is now about a kilometre into the park’s boundary on the southwest side. Ninety-five firefighters, eight helicopters and heavy equipment are all working to contain the fire, Alberta Wildfire said. The province also has air tankers available to drop water on the fire if it’s needed. Though the fire is still some distance from the N.W.T. border, N.W.T. Fire said Wednesday evening that crews were working to protect “values at risk” in the park. …Meanwhile, Alberta Wildfire said shifting winds are expected to bring smoke rolling through Garden River. The community is on an evacuation alert.

ALBERTA — Drayton Valley Mayor Nancy Dodds said it was emotional to return home nearly two weeks after an out-of-control wildfire forced residents to flee, but thousands elsewhere remain on edge as scores of fires continue to rage across much of the West. Fire Chief Tom Thomson said while the fire risk has eased significantly, people should take precautions. “There are still extremely hazardous areas out in the county area. We call it the burn area or the black area. There are concerns about falling trees, there are concerns about ash pits,” he said. More than 11,900 people in Alberta remain forced from their homes. Ninety-one active wildfires were burning in the province, with 27 listed as out of control as of Wednesday afternoon. …Hotter and drier temperatures are in the forecast and there’s a fire ban for nearly the entire province. There were also 25 active wildfires in Saskatchewan as of Wednesday afternoon.

Alberta’s unprecedented wildfire crisis threatens to drag on through the summer months. As of Wednesday afternoon, 91 wildfires are burning inside Alberta’s forest protection areas, and 27 are classified as out of control, Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker said. Firefighters are bracing for a long, gruelling season, and Tucker said Alberta has enlisted the help of nearly 1,000 out-of-province firefighters from across Canada and the U.S. so far. …But Alberta Wildfire information officer Josee St-Onge said Wednesday that the number of fires means it will be “a long battle” to stop them. “Given the amount of fire we’re currently seeing on the landscape, it will be months before all these fires are brought under control, unless we get a significant shift in the weather that brings a lot of moisture,” she said. …Hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to continue throughout Western Canada, potentially creating more intense and unpredictable fires

FORT ST. JOHN, BC — Patrick Patterson quickly packed his suitcase after smoke settled over Fort St. John, a city that was placed under evacuation alert. …He said the last time the city of 21,000 experienced a wildfire threat to this magnitude was in 2016, when the Fort McMurray fire led to the evacuation of more than 90,000 people and destroyed 2,930 buildings. …He said the initial panic from Monday calmed by Tuesday, as winds died down and skies became clearer. However, the city remains under evacuation alert. The alert was trigged by the Stoddart Creek wildfire, which is an estimated 23,500 hectares as of Tuesday and suspected to be human-caused. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 60 active fires in B.C., of which 15 are out of control. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, there were approximately 5,100 people across B.C. under an evacuation order as of Monday afternoon, and about 33,000 under an alert.