“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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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]
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.
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.
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…
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”.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”