Category Archives: Forest Fires

Forest Fires

Smoke knows no boundaries: What Canada’s fires mean for the U.S. in the future

By Scott Neuman
National Public Radio
June 6, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

“Wildfires are happening more frequently. They’re getting bigger. They’re emitting more smoke,” Paige Fischer, a professor of environmental sustainability at the University of Michigan says. “The climate models are projecting that we’re going to have more frequent, more severe wildfires.” As of Thursday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center said 201 fires are burning right now in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario … residents of the U.S. Midwest — especially in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan — are being forced to contend with the thick smoke. …the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow page is showing air quality moderate to unhealthy throughout a large swath of the U.S., with the worst conditions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. …Lori Daniels, a forest ecologist and professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) who specializes in wildfire science, agrees. “Smoke knows no political boundaries — and neither does fire,” she says.

Related coverage in Euro News by Rosie Frost: Smoke from Canada’s wildfires reaches Europe amid extreme start to the 2025 fire season

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Canadian fire smoke threatens air quality in Canada, US as it reaches Europe

France 24
June 4, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, International

Canada’s wildfires have forced evacuations of more than 26,000 people and continue to spread with heavy smoke choking millions of Canadians and Americans and reaching as far away as Europe. Hazardous air quality alerts were issued for parts of Canada and the neighbouring United States. A water tanker air base was consumed by flames in Saskatchewan province, oil production has been disrupted in Alberta, and more communities are threatened each day. “We have some challenging days ahead of us,” said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, adding that the number of evacuees could rise quickly. …Heavy smoke has engulfed part of the continent, forcing residents of four Canadian provinces and the US states of Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin to limit outdoor activities. …Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District since early April, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported.

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US Department of Agriculture sends wildfire resource help to Canada

KIRO 7
June 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has sent resources to Canada as wildfires spread across multiple parts of the country. On May 29, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center raised its wildfire preparedness level as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta, Canada, have seen very high wildfire activity. “We are here to help our neighbors during their time of need, and our Forest Service Wildland Firefighters are the best in the business,” said Brooke L. Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

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B.C. wildfire fighters experience slight reprieve, but more wind on horizon

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
June 7, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BC Wildfire Service

The B.C. Wildfire Service said that firefighters experienced a slight reprieve battling one of its most concerning blazes on Saturday, and it was seeing stable skies in the parched northeast corner of the province. However, another cold front is expected to bring high winds starting Sunday night into Monday, and conditions remain hot and dry across B.C. In addition…the Alaska Highway (Highway 97) continues to be threatened by a raging wildfire. For the Kiskatinaw River wildfire in the northeast on the B.C.-Alberta border, however, firefighters say that forecasted high winds overnight on Friday did not materialize. “We had calmer winds overnight than we expected and there was very minimal fire behaviour,” fire information officer Karley Desrosiers said Saturday morning. “So limited growth [is] expected.” The blaze covered an area of 130.6 square kilometres as of Saturday afternoon, and it has resulted in evacuation orders in the community of Kelly Lake.

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Saskatchewan wildfires have already burned 900K hectares of forest so far this year

By Colleen Silverthorn and Hannah Spray
CBC News
June 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Wildfires continue to rage out of control in northern Saskatchewan, and have now burned almost 1,000,000 hectares of the province’s forest so far this year and forced thousands of people from their homes. “Based on the estimates we’re looking at over 900,000 hectares in the province so far this year,” Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), said in an update Thursday when asked how much forest had burned this year so far. For context, the entire province of Prince Edward Island is about 568,000 hectares. New fires are starting daily, according to the SPSA. Three new fires started Thursday alone, and the massive Shoe fire in the Narrow Hills was estimated to be about 471,000 hectares in size as of late Thursday morning. As of Thursday afternoon, there were 27 fires burning in Saskatchewan, six of them not contained, according to the SPSA.  The fires continue to pose new threats daily.

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Nearly half of northern Alberta community destroyed as wildfires flare

By Wallis Snowdon
CBC News
June 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

As Albertans forced out by wildfires are being allowed to return home, other evacuees are learning their homes have been lost to the flames. During what has proven to be a devastating wildfire season across western Canada, the remote community of Chipewyan Lake has been among the hardest hit in Alberta in terms of damage to infrastructure. Close to half of the buildings in the small community, nestled in the boreal forests of northern Alberta about 450 kilometres north of Edmonton, have been destroyed. A wildfire swept through the remote community last week, hours after it was evacuated. Questions remain about how and when the community can rebuild, and where its 100 residents will live during the long recovery ahead. Chipewyan Lake lost some of its most critical community buildings, local emergency management officials with Bigstone Cree Nation and the MD of Opportunity No. 17 said Tuesday.

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Hundreds from Manitoba First Nations evacuate to Niagara Falls amid blazing wildfires

By Alex Arsenych and Aarjavee Raaj
CTV News
June 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hundreds of Manitoba First Nations are seeking refuge in Niagara Falls, hundreds of kilometres away from home, as fires continue to ravage the Prairies. Though thecentral province is expecting some precipitation across northern Manitoba, the provincial government said it will be insufficient to supress the wildfires, as the forecasted rain comes with a risk of lightning. The Canadian Red Cross registered thousands of evacuees—more than 14,300—having to flee their homes because of the active fires, a figure that includes roughly 2,400 households forced to leave First Nations lands. The Manitoba Keewainowi Okimaknak (MKO) said on May 28 that around 17,500 people across six First Nations communities were trying to get to safety. With the province declaring a national emergency, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced 1,000 rooms have been made available to those who have been displaced from their homes after First Nations leaders asked for more space to be made available.

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Evacuation orders issued as winds fan flames of wildfire near B.C.-Alberta border

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
June 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

New evacuation orders have been issued due to the Kiskatinaw River wildfire near the B.C.-Alberta border in northeastern B.C. on Tuesday, in addition to previous orders for 55 properties issued late last week. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire covered an area of just under 40 square kilometres, and is one of B.C.’s two “wildfires of note” — those that are particularly visible or pose a threat to public safety — the other being the Summit Lake wildfire in the far north. Highway 52 East remains closed in the area due to the blaze, which is burning close to the Pembina Steeprock gas processing facility. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says that the wildfire is set to experience “significant growth in the coming days”, with winds up to 60 km/h pushing the fire north, south and east towards Kelly Lake and the B.C.-Alta. border by Friday.

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About 15,000 have fled Saskatchewan wildfires and more coming: Premier Moe

Canadian Press in Global News
June 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

PRINCE ALBERT – As Manitoba grapples with wildfires that have forced more than 17,000 people from their homes, the premier of Saskatchewan said Tuesday the situation is becoming just as dire in his province. Scott Moe said upwards of 15,000 people have had to leave their communities and more are likely in the coming days. “We didn’t have a very good day yesterday,” he told reporters in Prince Albert, Sask. …Moe said the biggest destruction has been in places like the northern village of Denare Beach, near the Manitoba boundary, where some family homes have been lost. There will likely be challenging days ahead due to a lack of rain in the forecast, the premier added. …Marlo Pritchard from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said about 400 structures have been lost. Many firefighters had to stand down in some areas Monday due to “extreme fire behaviour,” he said.

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No relief in sight from wildfires as 20 Saskatchewan communities under evacuation orders

By Aishwarya Dudha
CBC News
June 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Wildfires in Saskatchewan are expected to continue to grow aggressively during the next few days, fuelled by high temperatures, winds and dry conditions. And there’s no sign of relief in sight, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency. “This will drastically impact our ability to contain some of these fires and will actually cause some of these fires to grow in size over the next period of time,” Steve Roberts, SPSA vice-president of operations, said Sunday. As of Sunday afternoon, 15 fires were burning in the province, down from 17 because two fires have merged and some small fires have been contained, the SPSA said. Roberts said 20 communities are under an evacuation order as of  Sunday. The latest evacuation orders have been in Sturgeon Landing and Timber Bay. Thousands of people have already been displaced from their homes in communities including Hall Lake, Pelican Narrows, Creighton, Denare Beach and Weyakwin.

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There’s a wildfire crisis in Western Canada. Why is this happening so early in the season?

By Tiffany Crawford
Vancouver Sun
May 31, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s not yet summer, but out-of-control wildfires are raging across Western Canada, fuelled by drought, warmer temperatures and lack of rainfall. Residents in northeastern BC, near Kelly Lake, have fled their homes, as Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared provincial emergencies this week. As of Friday, wildfires in Manitoba had displaced more than 17,000 people. Thousands more have been given evacuation orders because of wildfires in Saskatchewan and Alberta, including 1,300 residents of Swan Hills, a community northwest of Edmonton. …“We did see similar early-season activity like this in the far northeast in 2023 and in 2024 in BC,” said Budd. “That’s really the result of prolonged drought in the region that goes back as early as 2022.” …Manitoba is also facing a dire situation. The Flin Flon fire, located on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border near Creighton, started at a landfill before crossing over the Manitoba border. It has grown to more than 200 square kilometres.

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Wildfire contained near Flin Flon, Man.; Saskatchewan hamlet ordered to evacuate

Canadian Press
June 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Fire crews in northern Manitoba have so far been able to contain an encroaching wildfire that forced thousands from their homes, while more residents in Saskatchewan have been told to leave due to a fast-moving blaze. The Saskatchewan government issued an evacuation alert Sunday morning for the dozens of residents that live in the hamlet of Timber Bay. Residents were told to leave the community on their own and head south to a hotel in Regina, about 484 kilometres away, to receive further support. …Approximately 80 people from Timber Bay are the latest to be forced from their homes. In Manitoba, some 17,000 Manitobans have had to leave their homes due to fires. Officials in Flin Flon, Man., where a nearby out-of-control wildfire crews have been trying to keep a nearby blaze at bay, said the fire burning near the mining city has been contained to outside its perimeter highway…

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Cool temperatures, chance of rain as crews battle wildfires near Flin Flon, Man.

The Canadian Press
June 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

FLIN FLON, Manitoba – Cooler temperatures and a chance of rain this week is expected in a northwestern Manitoba city that’s had to evacuate thousands of people due to wildfire. Environment Canada says temperatures in the mid teens to mid 20s are forecasted this week, with a good chance of rain coming Saturday in Flin Flon. Fire crews have been trying to keep a blaze near Flin Flon at bay, and have said the fire has been contained to outside its perimeter highway. Crews say there have been no structures lost due to the wildfire. More than 17,000 people have been displaced by wildfires in Manitoba, including 5,000 from Flin Flon. Thousands have been affected by wildfires across the Prairie provinces, with Saskatchewan issuing an evacuation alert Sunday morning for dozens of residents in the small northern community of Timber Bay, located about 260 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. [END]

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‘This is classic climate change’: Sask. faces worst wildfire season in decades

By Aliyah Marko-Omene
CBC News
June 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Saskatchewan is battling the worst wildfire it’s seen in decades — including the 300,000-hectare Shoe Fire in northern Saskatchewan — and experts say it’s largely caused by climate change. “This is classic climate change,” said Colin Laroque, head of soil science and professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Laroque said climatology is studied using 30-year timeframes of weather patterns, which “weren’t that different” until recently. …”These are things that we traditionally saw more in June, July and later summer, when everything dried out and then the fires took off,” Laroque said. Saskatchewan is making its way out of a relatively dry period. Few places had snow for long periods of time over winter. In the past, “snowpacks” would take time to fully melt and trickle into the ground as it warmed up. This would recharge the moisture of the soil.

In related coverage: In the CBC No relief in sight as 20 Sask. communities under evacuation orders

Brandon Sun, by Tom Brodbeck: Climate change a ‘right now’ problem

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Hot, dry forecast spells trouble for Saskatchewan wildfires

By Jeffrey Tram
CBC News
May 30, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A meteorologist is warning the upcoming weather forecast isn’t good news for the wildfire outlook in northern Saskatchewan, with hot, dry and windy conditions in the foreseeable future. “We’re not getting any relief, unfortunately,” said Justin Shelly, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “We’re expecting very warm conditions to continue.” A cold front will develop from Alberta that will move to Saskatchewan on Friday, but it will only create some isolated chances of showers and thunderstorms, said Shelly. “There’s not going to be a lot of accumulations in terms of rainfall amounts associated with this,” he said. Shelly said another system from Alberta will be coming Saturday night into Sunday morning, but most of the rainfall will hit isolated spots of northern Saskatchewan, with only about five to 15 millimetres in those areas.

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Evacuation orders grow as out-of-control wildfires ravage northern Alberta

By Mackenzie Rhode and Bill Kaufmann
Calgary Herald
May 29, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Orders to evacuate in the face of surging wildfires continued to spread Thursday as hot, dry conditions fuelled forest blazes in the province’s north. That comes as much of the province came under a rarely issued red flag warning, meaning if wildfires break out, they’re more likely to spread and grow due to warmer temperatures, stronger winds and dry forest fuel. As a large area of the province’s north burns, the fire hazard west of Calgary is listed as high to very high, leading to increased vigilance among emergency officials and more calls for stepped-up forest management to reduce the wildfire threat. “In all fairness, the government of Alberta has done a good job in its commercially forested zones, but not so much in its parks and set-aside areas,” said Rick Doman, a longtime forestry industry figure who’s campaigning to better protect the Bow Valley from what many see as ripe for a catastrophic blaze.

Additional coverage in CBC by Wallis Snowdon: Hundreds ordered to evacuate overnight in northern Alberta as wildfires flare

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Manitoba declares provincewide state of emergency over wildfires

By Arturo Chang
CBC News
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Manitoba has declared a provincewide state of emergency as wildfires continue to threaten communities across the province.  An emergency alert issued at around 5:25 p.m. CT Wednesday said the measure was due to rapidly spreading wildfires and extreme fire conditions in northern and eastern Manitoba. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the “significant step” will involve the evacuation of about 17,000 people as fires continued to intensify throughout Wednesday. “This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory,” Kinew said Wednesday. It’s believed to be the largest evacuation since 1997, when the “Flood of the Century” in the Red River valley forced about 25,000 people from their homes. Evacuation orders have been issued for the city of Flin Flon, Pimicikamak Cree Nation and the northern community of Cross Lake, along with Pukatawagan Cree Nation, also known as Mathias Colomb First Nation, Kinew said.

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Northern Alberta community begins welcoming wildfire evacuees

CBC News
May 27, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Fire crews are facing a challenging day as a wildfire encroaches on the town of Swan Hills in northern Alberta. An evacuation order was issued shortly after 6 p.m. Monday as the flames of the Edith Lake wildfire drew closer to the town of more than 1,300 people. A wildfire detected Sunday is now burning out of control seven kilometres from the edge of town, which is nestled in the boreal forest about 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The blaze, fanned by powerful and unpredictable winds, has burned close to 2,300 hectares since it was first spotted. A provincial fire weather forecast is predicting gusty and shifting winds and rising temperatures on Tuesday and the national fire danger is listed as extreme across much of the province. As of noon Tuesday, there were seven out-of-control wildfires in Alberta.

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BC Wildfire Service working on new wildfire started near Arrastra Creek west of Princeton

By Casey Richardson
Castanet
May 24, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Wildfire Service are handling a new wildfire discovered on Saturday afternoon west of Princeton. Fire Information Officer Shae Stearns said they have one initial attack crew and a response officer on site, along with one helicopter assisting with water tanking. The fire is near Arrastra Creek and behind Black Mine Road. The fire is estimated at just over one hectare in size and is classified at out of control. The fire is believed to be human-caused, but further details on how the fire started are not known. …As of Friday, May 16, category 3 open fires were ordered prohibited across the Kamloops Fire Centre.

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Wildfire deaths in Manitoba turn ‘an emergency into a tragedy’: Premier Wab Kinew

By Darren Bernhardt
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the Manitoba Legislative Building to honour two people who died after being trapped by an out-of-control wildfire in the rural municipality of Lac du Bonnet. Premier Wab Kinew, who offered condolences to the family, friends and community members of the victims, called the move “a small gesture towards the sympathies that we feel and how this latest turn in this year’s wildfire situation hits on a different emotional level.” “The news of this loss of life changes what was an emergency into a tragedy,” he said at a Thursday morning news conference. …Kinew urged people heading into the May long weekend — traditionally the unofficial start to summer and camping season — to listen to evacuation orders and stay out of areas where emergency crews are working. As of Thursday, there are 21 fires burning in the province, with a total of 80 recorded so far this season…

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‘Another challenging day’ fighting Manitoba’s wildfires with not enough rain on the way, officials say

By Darren Bernhardt
CBC News
May 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hot weather, dry conditions and very windy days have caused multiple fires to erupt in Manitoba, forcing people out of their homes and burning buildings — and forecast rain is not enough to help much, fire officials say. There are 24 active fires, six of them requiring significant response, said Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister for the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization. “This is an extremely dynamic time for us,” she said at a briefing on Wednesday afternoon. “The message that we want to send out to Manitobans today is that if you do not need to be in the parks and if you do not need to be in the areas where first responders need to access, we are asking you to stay away.” Six states of emergency have been declared and five provincial parks, three local authorities, three northern communities and 24 cottage subdivisions have issued mandatory evacuation orders.

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Major Canada wildfire kills two and forces 1000 people to evacuate homes

The Guardian
May 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

A major wildfire burning in central Canada has killed two people and forced 1,000 more to evacuate their homes, kicking off a fire season authorities warn could prove devastating. Canadian federal police confirmed on Wednesday that two people died in the small community of Lac du Bonnet, in the central province of Manitoba, which is experiencing unusually hot, dry and windy conditions. Manitoba’s premier, Wab Kinew, said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of two Manitobans due to the wildfires”. “My heart goes out to their loved ones,” he added in a post on Twitter/X. In 2023, during Canada’s worst wildfire season, there were no recorded civilian deaths. Chris Hastie of the Royal Canadian mounted police told reporters that authorities “were aware that these individuals had been trapped in the fire”.

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Residents asked to evacuate as wildfire threatens Regional Municipality of Alexander for 2nd time in recent weeks

By Arturo Chang
CBC News
May 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Some residents of a community in eastern Manitoba were asked to leave their property out of concerns a nearby wildfire may threaten their homes should winds turn their way. People living in the Rural Municipality of Alexander between Hill Road and the Bird River bridge were advised to evacuate Monday afternoon after a fire began north of the Bird River area. Chief administrative officer Gisele Smith said the number of people who may have had to evacuate is currently unknown. …The province is also closing Highway 314 through Nopiming Provincial Park bordering the RM to the northeast amid a separate fire. The government said Monday afternoon the fire is currently about 400 hectares and that crews are working on it. …This is the second fire the RM of Alexander has had to deal with in recent weeks.

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Forest fire near Deer Lake now simply huge

By Mark Stimpson
NWOnewswatch.com
June 4, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The forest fire west of Wabaseemoong is no longer the largest in Northwestern Ontario now that a blaze farther north has grown to more than 65,000 hectares. The Red Lake 12 fire that caused the evacuation of Deer Lake First Nation last week was blanketing 65,186 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. That’s more than 3.5 times the size estimated on Monday. Smoke from fires to the west hurt the ministry’s ability “to monitor the growth of Red Lake 12 consistently throughout the operational window,” MNR fire information officer Allison Lake told Newswatch in an email. “After several days of reduced visibility, conditions improved, allowing for high-level infrared scanning of wildland fire Red Lake 12. “As a result of the scanning, the fire has now been remapped at 65,186 hectares, which accounts for growth that has occurred over the past few days.”

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Wildfires prompt air quality statements across northwestern Ontario as evacuations continue

By Sarah Law
CBC News
June 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

A number of special air quality statements are in effect across northwestern Ontario, as wildfire activity remains rampant throughout the region. Statements were issued early Monday morning for well over a dozen communities, including several First Nations… “Wildfire smoke is expected to move into the area early this morning and may remain in place for the next several days for some areas,” the statements say. “As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors.” Evacuations are continuing in Deer Lake First Nation and Webequie First Nation. Meanwhile, members of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations have been under an evacuation order since mid-May. Webequie First Nation first declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Chief Cornelius Wabasse said high demands for aircraft in other communities affected by wildfires delayed his community’s evacuation. “There is a shortage of planes and also other resources,” Wabasse said on Monday morning.

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Wildfire activity persists in northern Ontario

By Dan Bertrand
CTV News
June 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) continues to monitor wildfires across the province, with varying conditions in the northeast and northwest regions. While some fires have been brought under control, others remain active, prompting ongoing suppression efforts and precautionary measures. The northeast region reports two active wildfires, with one recently contained. Sudbury 13, a 0.5-hectare fire near Wikwemikong that was identified on Saturday, was declared out Sunday morning. Cochrane 2, an 8-hectare fire northwest of Attawapiskat, is now under control. Cochrane 3, burning 48 kilometres west of Attawapiskat, remains not under control at 150 hectares. Though the MNR confirms no immediate threats to communities or infrastructure at this time. The northwest region remains a focal point, with 15 active fires and persistent high-risk conditions.

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Nova Scotia wildfire season off to a slow start after cool, wet spring

By Danielle Edwards
CBC News
May 31, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The wildfire season in Nova Scotia has been off to a “slow” start, according to the manager of forest protection with the province’s natural resources department. Scott Tingely told CBC News that so far, the number of fires and the amount of hectares burned are both below average at this point. “We had a pretty cool, wet spring so far, so that has certainly helped kind of mitigate the conditions and the risk,” Tingley said. As of Thursday, 39 fires have burned about 35 hectares across the province so far. …The wildfire situation in Nova Scotia has changed rapidly over the last week, according to data from Natural Resources Canada. On Tuesday, the department listed the fire danger across most of the province as low. And as of Thursday, that classification was raised to high for the bulk of the mainland and Cape Breton.

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Massive expansion of restricted fire zone

By Matt Prokopchuk
The Thunder Bay News Watch
May 29, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

THUNDER BAY — A huge additional swath of Northwestern Ontario, including the city of Thunder Bay and surrounding areas, will be under a fire ban as of midnight. The Ministry of Natural Resources announced Thursday it is extending its restricted fire zone in the region at the end of the day. In a related move, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue said it is also implementing a fire ban for the city. Starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the fire ban will extend from its initial boundaries in the west to as far north as to include Wabakimi Provincial Park. …Chris Marchand, a regional fire information officer with the MNR’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in Dryden said the region is exceedingly dry.

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Highway reopened as fire burns near Churchill Falls

By Maddie Ryan
CBC News
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Emergency crews are dealing with a fire in the woods east of Churchill Falls — an area of central Labrador currently under an extreme fire risk warning. The provincial government confirmed the fire is moving east, away from the town. It said crews and two water bombers were deployed. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary closed part of the Trans-Labrador Highway between the company town and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, 300 kilometres east along the isolated road, for a stint Wednesday night. It has since reopened. N.L. Hydro said helicopters fought the fire from the air. The fire knocked out the power in Labrador City and Wabush for nearly three hours. N.L. Hydro restored electricity to all customers shortly after 9 p.m.

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Huge forest fire northwest of Kenora has grown

By Mike Stimpson
Northwest Ontario News
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

KENORA, Ontario – The wildfire north of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations is “being held” while the giant blaze west of the community is still a growing concern, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. An evacuation order for the area, including Wabaseemoong, remains in place. The ministry changed the status of Kenora 14, a 1,600-hectare fire north of Wabaseemoong, last week to “being held.” The status means Kenora 14 is not likely to spread beyond existing boundaries under current weather conditions. …MNR fire information officer Alison Bezubiak said Kenora 20, on the other hand, has grown a little to more than 32,000 hectares – 29,729 hectares in Ontario, the remainder in Manitoba. The northeast end of the wildfire is within two kilometres of the community, she said. “Fire Ranger crews have completed values protection with sprinklers on all structures within the community and helicopter bucketing is ongoing on hot spots nearest to the community,” she added.

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Northwest Region Wildfire Update: 12 Active Fires, Hazard Remains Extreme as Crews Battle New Starts

News Net Ledger
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Thunder Bay – The Northwest Fire Region continues to face escalating wildfire activity, with 12 active fires currently being managed across the region. According to Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services, 4 of the fires are not under control, 3 are being held, and 5 are under control. As of Tuesday evening, five new wildland fires were confirmed: THUNDER BAY 13: Located at the south end of Dog Lake in Silver Falls Provincial Park, this 0.1-hectare fire is not under control. NIPIGON 3: Located 2 km west of Longlac, along the north end of Long Lake, this 0.1-hectare fire remains uncontrolled. RED LAKE 9: Found on the east side of Pikangikum First Nation beside Pikangikum Lake, this 0.1-hectare fire is now out. …The wildland fire hazard is high to extreme across most of the Northwest Region, driven by persistent dry conditions and strong winds.

Related coverage in Kenora Online: Poor air quality expected in Fort Frances, Kenora areas due to forest fires

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Evacuation alert lifted in district

By Doug Diaczuk
The Chronicle Journal
May 20, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

A drop in temperatures and some precipitation has reduced the fire hazard in the region, prompting an evacuation alert in the Northwest to be lifted. On Sunday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) lifted an evacuation alert issued last week for the Fort Frances District. The alert was implemented due to a 3,500-hectare fire burning south of Atikokan. There has been no growth observed in that fire for several days and precipitation and cooler weather has reduced fire behaviour. An evacuation order remains in effect for an area northwest of Kenora near the Ontario and Manitoba border due to the wildfire designated Kenora 20. It is a 400-square-kilometre fire burning south of Wabaseemoong First Nation that is not considered under control. The community of Wabaseemoong First Nation was evacuated late last week and structural protection efforts remain ongoing.

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Wildfires in Fort Frances and Sioux Lookout, Ont., districts force evacuation alert, travel restrictions

By Olivia Levesque
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Evacuation and travel alerts have been issued in the Fort Frances and Sioux Lookout districts in northwestern Ontario as wildfires grow in both areas. As of Thursday morning, 10 forest fires are burning in the northwest region, and half of them aren’t under control. In the Sioux Lookout district, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) issued an implementation order Wednesday evening. It includes the area around the fire known as Sioux Lookout 3, which was first reported on Tuesday afternoon. The fire is burning north of Savant Lake, covering over 2,000 hectares of land. Ontario Provincial Police have closed Highway 599 and travel is restricted on Highway 516 east of Houghton Lake. Further south, the Fort Frances 4 wildfire is covering over 3,200 hectares. The MNR issued an evacuation alert Wednesday afternoon, encouraging people to prepare to evacuate on short notice. Fort Frances 4 is burning just north of Crystal Lake and is not under control.

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Evacuations ordered due to forest fire out of control near Ontario towns

By Ryan Rumbolt
INsauga
May 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Evacuations are being ordered or recommended for residents near a forest fire burning out of control and under extreme heat warnings and an air quality statement in western Ontario. Ontario Forest Fires issued an evacuation alert on Tuesday for residents and cottagers near Kenora, with the province saying firefighters are battling a fire dubbed KEN020 that’s seen “increased fire behaviour.” Residents in multiple municipalities are now being “strongly encouraged to evacuate,” the province says, while others are under evacuation orders, according to firefighters. Pellatt United Firefighters says there is an official evacuation notice in effect for Rice Lake, Malachi and Ottermere.

Additional coverage from CBC: Large northwestern Ontario forest fire prompts evacuation

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Favourable winds, suppression efforts keep large forest fire away from northwestern Ontario First Nation

CBC News
May 12, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Favourable winds and provincial firefighting efforts have led to the cancellation of a stage one evacuation for Wabaseemoong Independent Nations as a large forest fire burns nearby. The fire, known as Kenora 14, was discovered on Thursday 12 kilometres from Wabaseemoong. It has since grown to more than 1,000 hectares in size, and is not under control. “We had another update meeting (Sunday) morning, and it looked promising that we won’t have to do any evacuation,” said Waylon Scott, chief of Wabaseemoong. “We were at the midst of doing a stage one evacuation, which is basically the vulnerable population.” Scott said the evacuation has now been put on hold. Chris Marchand, fire information officer with Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES), said southerly winds have kept the fire from advancing any closer to Wabaseemoong, and helped keep smoke out of the community.

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Ministry of Natural Resources makes progress on a 1,300-hectare forest fire

By Gary Rinne
North West Ontario News Watch
May 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

KENORA — The largest wildfire of the season in Northwestern Ontario has consumed 1,300 hectares of forest, but Ministry of Natural Resources crews have been aided by more favourable weather conditions. Heading into the weekend, there were concerns about the fire’s proximity to Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, as it was only 12 kilometres to the south and the fire was exhibiting some extreme behaviour. However, there was minimal growth on the fire’s perimeter on Saturday, and the wind changed direction, blowing from the south to direct fire activity and smoke away from the community. The MNR expects southerly winds will persist for a few days.

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Highway 11 in Northwestern Ontario closed due to forest fire

By Gary Rinne
Northwest Ontario News Watch
May 12, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

ATIKOKAN — A forest fire forced the closure of a section of Highway 11 in Northwestern Ontario. Ontario 511 reported the closure of both lanes of the highway at 5:27 pm EDT Monday. The road was blocked between Highway 623 at Sapawe and Highway 633 near Kawene. According to witnesses at the scene, Ministry of Natural Resources waterbombers were working steadily on the fire. The MNR estimated the fire had burned 180 hectares by 8:30 pm, and listed the outbreak as “not under control.”

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Oregon’s first large wildfire of season, the Butte Creek Fire, mapped at 1776 acres

By Zach Urness
Salem Statesman Journal
May 27, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

Oregon’s first major wildfire of the season, the Butte Creek Fire, has been mapped at 1,776 acres burning on the John Day River 9 miles north of Clarno in eastern Oregon as of May 27. Firefighters were suppressing the blaze with multiple crews, engines, dozers and aircraft. Some structures are threatened by the fire, officials said. Wheeler County Fire & Rescue and South Gilliam County Rural Fire Protection District are providing structure prevention. No evacuations or closures were in place. However, boaters on the popular stretch of the John Day River “are being asked to use caution as helicopters will continue dipping water out of the John Day River today,” according to Central Oregon Fire Information.

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3 wildfires continue raging in northeastern Minnesota; 20K acres burnt so far

By Stephen Swanson, David Shuman & Jason Rantala
CBS News
May 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US East

Crews continue to battle three wildfires on Tuesday in northeastern Minnesota, all with zero containment. St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay says the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service expect Tuesday to be another “heavy fire day” with more “dangerous conditions.” Leanne Langeberg with the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center said since Sunday, crews have responded to about 80 wildfires across the state amid “uncommonly dry fuels and warm temperatures” from a multi-day stretch of red flag conditions. On Monday, Gov. Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard, which will use its Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to aid in the fire fight. …The governor says the state typically sees just more than 1,100 wildfires a year on more than 37,000 acres, but 970 have already happened in 2025 — with 40 each on Sunday and Monday.

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Severe wildfires in Russia’s Siberia region rage through 600,000 hectares of forest

By Caitlin Danaher, Darya Tarasova and Brandon Miller
CNN
May 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Severe wildfires raging in a Siberian region of Russia have engulfed more than 600,000 hectares of forest, local authorities have warned. In the Eastern Siberian territory of Zabaykalsky Krai, a federal-level state of emergencies has been in place since late April, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Despite huge efforts to tackle wildfire outbreaks in the region, which borders Mongolia, 49 forest fires continue to burn, with a total area exceeding 629,000 hectares, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said Wednesday. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1.4 million hectares of land have been affected by wildfires, according to figures from Russia’s Federal Agency for Forestry published on Tuesday, about three times the total area affected by fires in the United States and Canada so far this year combined.

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