Category Archives: Forest Fires

Forest Fires

Canada’s wildfire season close to 10-year average heading into summer peak

The Canadian Press in the Comox Valley Record
July 13, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada

The remnants of Hurricane Beryl have brought flash floods and destruction to parts of the Maritimes, but federal officials say the storm has also reduced the risk of wildfires in parts of Eastern Canada, at least for now. Overall, this wildfire season is far less severe than the record-setting year in 2023, but the risk for new fires is still high, particularly for B.C., Yukon and Northwest Territories. The ongoing drought in Northwest Territories has intensified, and Environment Canada said things are drier than usual in the Yukon. …About 1.3 million hectares have burned, which is close to the 10-year average for this time of year. By contrast, 1.3 million hectares had burned in B.C. alone by mid-July last year. Nationally by mid-July nearly 10 million hectares had already burned in 2023.

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‘We were not prepared’: Canada fought nightmarish wildfires as smoke became US problem

By Keith Matheny
The Detroit Free Press
July 11, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

…Calling Canada’s wildfires in 2023 unprecedented doesn’t capture the magnitude of what happened, said Michael Flannigan, a professor specializing in wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. …To begin to understand Canada’s wildfire threat, first understand the vastness of Canada’s forests. With about 1.4 million square miles of forest land, Canada is the third-most forested country in the world, trailing only Russia and Brazil. Canada’s forest is 15 times the surface area of all of the Great Lakes combined. …”People around the world probably don’t really comprehend just the scale of the forested area that we have,” said Richard Carr, a physical scientist and fire research analyst with the Canadian Forest Service in Edmonton….The total cost of the 2023 wildfires across Canada in damage, response and recovery, is still being calculated. “It’s into the billions of dollars,” said Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s minister of emergency preparedness. 

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No crews fighting Mara Mountain fire on Monday, BC Wildfire Service says, due to steep terrain

By Chelsey Mutter
Castanet
July 22, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A wildfire burning on Mara Mountain has grown to 220 hectares, and access to the fire remains an issue, prompting firefighters in nearby Sicamous to prepare to defend the community. Inaccessible terrain kept BC Wildfire Service crews from working a 220-hectare fire burning near Sicamous on Monday. BCWS Information Officer Ayden Coray said no bucketing of the fire took place Monday, and steep terrain has made the fire inaccessible for ground crews. An update from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District advises the public that BCWS continues to monitor the wildfire.

Other BC evacuation news from Castanet: Sitkum Creek wildfire balloons to 350 hectares, evacuation alerts in place

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Thousands flee Jasper National Park as wildfire threatens township, prompts highway closures

By Dean Bennett & David Boles
The Canadian Press in CBC News
July 22, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

About 4,700 residents of the Alberta mountain town of Jasper and visitors to Jasper National Park have been forced to evacuate after a wildfire roared into the area late Monday night. People were forced to flee west into British Columbia with little notice over mountain roads through darkness, soot and ash. Photos and video shared on social media depicted a long line of cars and trucks, headlights on, red tail lights blinking, heading out bumper-to bumper as the deep blue night sky darkened. …The Jasper townsite — and the park’s main east-west artery Highway 16 — were caught in a fiery pincer. Fires threatening from the northeast cut off highway access east to Edmonton. Another fire roaring up from the south forced the closure of the north-south Icefields Parkway. That left one route open — west to B.C. …The evacuation alert was sent just after 10 p.m. MT. The Municipality of Jasper declared a state of emergency shortly after.

 

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Wildfires erupt in B.C. with lightning, heat fuelling fire behaviour across province

The Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun
July 20, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Barbara Roden, mayor of Ashcroft, BC, says the area’s long-term care residents have been moved out as a fast-moving wildfire looms nearby. Ashcroft is about 360 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. Roden said Saturday that the community remains under an alert to be ready to evacuate on short notice. Roden said the anxiety among residents is “settling down a little bit” as the nearby Shetland Creek wildfire appeared to push northward Saturday. …Roden’s comments came as the Thompson-Nicola Regional District confirmed Venables Valley — just a few kilometres southwest of Ashcroft — has seen a number of structures destroyed by the Shetland Creek fire as of Saturday. …Meanwhile, the number of wildfires in British Columbia has flared up to more than 300, with more than half of those classified as out of control and about 70 started in the last 24 hours. The B.C. Wildfire Service said one of the primary drivers in the latest spike has been lightning.

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Several wildfires have forced authorities in B.C. to issue evacuation orders as heat wave intensifies

CBC News
July 21, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre issued an evacuation order Sunday afternoon citing the rapid growth over the weekend of the Antler Creek wildfire in B.C.’s central Interior. The emergency order encompasses 431 parcels in the Barkerville Area, covering 62,488 hectares, including the historic Barkerville town — the largest living history museum in western North America. The EOC has also extended the order for 33 parcels in the Bowron area, covering about 30,567 hectares to the east of Wells and part of the Bowron Lake Provincial Park. Earlier on Sunday, the District of Wells also declared a state of local emergency for the entire district, which is about 180 kilometres southeast of Prince George. …In the order signed by Mayor Ed Colemon, the wildfire is described as a “significant threat” to the health, safety and welfare of the community. Coleman told CBC News that about 1,000 people are impacted by the order.

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Alberta wildfire evacuees now number 7,500, Little Red River Cree Nation fully evacuated

By Nicholas Frew and Sam Samson
CBC News
July 21, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

EDMONTON, Alberta — Jason Saovord, his girlfriend, their kids and his girlfriend’s sister rolled into Edmonton early Sunday morning, having travelled hundreds of kilometres from northern Alberta to stay in a hotel for shelter. They are among thousands of people from Little Red River Cree Nation fleeing the Semo Complex wildfire, a group of out-of-control wildfires in the High Level forest area. An evacuation order was issued Saturday afternoon, as one of the fires encroached about two kilometres from Highway 58 — the one thoroughfare in the area. …Little Red River Cree Nation, which has about 5,500 members, is made up of three communities: Fox Lake, Garden River and John D’Or Prairie. Garden River was evacuated last week due to the wildfire, but the Alberta Emergency Management Agency issued an evacuation order for Fox Lake and John D’Or Prairie around 12:30 p.m. Saturday. …There are about 7,500 wildfire evacuees in Alberta. 

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Local state of emergency declared in Williams Lake, BC

The Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun
July 21, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

WILLIAMS LAKE, BC — Lightning-triggered wildfires over the weekend have prompted a number of evacuation orders and alerts across B.C., a situation that has been exacerbated the ongoing heat wave. The B.C. Wildfire Service said Sunday that crews are battling more than 300 blazes, with several evacuation orders in effect in both Central and East Kootenay as well as in Thompson-Nicola, Cariboo and Bulkley — Nechako in the northwest. …A local state of emergency was declared on Sunday night in Williams Lake, where the River Valley wildfire is burning within city limits. An evacuation alert has been issued for properties from the intersection of Highway 20 and Mackenzie Avenue to the Jackpine Sawmill Access Road on Mackenzie Avenue near Atlantic Power’s Williams Lake plant. …In the Central Kootenay, the community of Silverton also remained on alert Sunday while 107 properties south of the village were under an evacuation order due to the nearby Aylwin Creek wildfire.

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Wildfire prompts evacuation orders near Spences Bridge, B.C., as hot spell continues

Canadian Press in CTV News
July 18, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has issued an evacuation order for 76 properties in the Venables Valley area north of Spences Bridge, B.C., due to the out-of-control Shetland Creek wildfire. The order issued at 10 p.m. last night says residents are to report to the emergency services reception centre at the community hall in nearby Cache Creek. Cook’s Ferry Indian Band has also expanded an evacuation order related to the same fire to include additional reserves along the Thompson River south of Ashcroft. The BC Wildfire Service says the Shetland Creek blaze has grown to more than 41 square kilometres in size, while the nearby Teit Creek blaze spans 249 hectares. …The forecast for Cache Creek, north of the Shetland Creek wildfire, shows a daily high of 40 C on Thursday, 38 C on Friday and 40 C over the weekend. The wildfire service says Wednesday’s storm sparked high-elevation fires through the Arrow and Kootenay Lake fire zones.

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47 new Alberta wildfires in last day as province swelters under heat

CBC News
July 17, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Alberta Wildfire is reporting another 47 wildfire starts in the past 24 hours as 150 wildfires burn across the province. Of the fires burning within Alberta’s wildfire protection areas, 51 are burning out of control, 34 are being held and 42 are under control. Much of Alberta remains under a heat warning as daytime highs are expected to reach between 28 and 36 C over the next 7 to 9 days. The fire danger is similarly elevated in many areas of the province, the majority falling under a very high danger with pockets of extreme fire danger. …About 20 per cent remain under investigation. …In the Wood Buffalo region, Janvier and Janvier First Nation 194 residents were put on evacuation alert Wednesday evening due to the threat of due to nearby wildfires. Residents are being told to be ready to evacuate on short notice. The largest wildfire in the province covers 82,709 hectares, one of two out-of-control wildfires in the Cattail Lake Complex.

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Thunderstorms in forecast as wildfires at mercy of the weather

By Mark Nielsen
Prince George Citizen
July 17, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The wildfire situation in the Central Interior will be at the mercy of the weather for the next few days. A warning for extreme heat issued Tuesday by Environment Canada remains in place for the region with the daytime high for Prince George forecast to hit 34 C on Thursday. A campfire ban for most of the province also remains in place. A risk of thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons is also in the cards. “Hot and dry conditions are set to continue into the latter half of the week into the weekend, with widespread thunderstorms and strong winds forecast for Friday and Sunday,” said B.C. Wildfire Service. Crews continue work to contain the wildfire that broke out last week in Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park east of Prince George. The size of the fire remained listed as unchanged at 39 hectares but still out of control. 

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Helicopter responding to wildfire west of Revelstoke spots second fire nearby

By Luc Rempel
Castanet
July 16, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Revelstoke, British Columbia — Helicopters responding to the out of control Wap Creek wildfire west of Revelstoke on Tuesday spotted another fire to the west in the Mount Griffin area. The new fire is suspected to have been started by a dry lightning strike and is estimated to be 0.1 hectares in size. “Crews were able to get on top of that right away, starting with a helicopter bucketing, and then the initial attack crew was sent out there,” said Cassidy Martin, BCWS fire information officer. “They are just seeing rank one behaviour, which is just a smouldering ground fire, no open flames,” she said. The fire is classified as out of control. The Wap Creek wildfire has remained the same size since Tuesday morning, estimated at about 4.2 hectares in size …The fire was first spotted on Monday at about 11 a.m., and covered about 2.1 hectares. It has since grown to cover 4.2 hectares.

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Wildfire evacuation order issued near Spences Bridge, B.C.

CBC News
July 16, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Cook’s Ferry Indian Band has issued an evacuation order north of Spences Bridge due to a pair of out-of-control wildfires burning in the B.C. Interior. The evacuation comes as new heat warnings are posted across B.C., which could fuel the growth of new and existing fires, said officials. Chief Christine Walkem said the evacuation order applies to Reserve #6 — Nicoelton. The order was issued due to the “imminent danger” of two wildfires burning out of control — K70910 (Shetland Creek) and K70913 (Teit Creek) burning 7.5 kilometres and 5.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge, respectively. Cook’s Ferry Indian Band Fire Chief Steven Sherwood said the evacuation order does not affect any community members and has been issued solely for livestock in the area, which is a licensed grazing zone. …”Livestock there is a dire importance to the band and the communities here at Cook’s Ferry.”

Additional coverage in CFJC Kamloops Today: Wildfires burning north of Spences Bridge experiencing notable growth

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Wildfire near Trans-Canada Highway closes eastbound lane

The Canadian Press in CBC News
July 15, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

An active wildfire visible from the Trans-Canada Highway between Chilliwack and Hope has closed the eastbound lane for about five kilometres, according to DriveBC, even as crews from Australia and New Zealand make their way to B.C. to help battle the roughly 150 wildfires across the province. The province’s driver information service says the one-hectare fire, which was discovered Monday, is between Exit 146 and Exit 151. It said those on the roads should “expect delays.” …The BCWS also says the fire was suspected to have been caused by human activities, either intentionally or accidentally. Despite all the radio, TV and social media posts spreading the news about the campfire ban on Friday, the Chilliwack Fire Department said that its crews attended several campfires over the weekend to put them out and issue fines. …The highway blaze is one of around 150 wildfires burning across the province…

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Crews work to contain wildfire in Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Park

By Mark Nielsen
Prince George Citizen
July 15, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The “only inland temperate rainforest in the world” is in danger from growing wildfires. Multiple fires are active in the area of the Ancient Forest or Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park, known for its 1,000-year-old trees. It’s located about an hour east of Prince George and has been closed to the public since July 10. As of Monday morning, one of the fires stood at 40 hectares in size, up from 10 hectares when it was first spotted last week. A lightning strike is the suspected cause. Crews have set up a helicopter landing pad and water relay system, but the efforts face challenges based on the rugged nature of the park. “The park’s terrain, ecological and cultural values have challenged fire suppression efforts, particularly on the southern flank,” the service stated. The park is located on Lheidli T’enneh territory and has played a key role in the First Nation’s culture and history. 

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B.C. crews battle wildfire in park with 1,000-year-old trees

Canadian Press in the CBC News
July 12, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia’s wildfire service says crews are battling a 10-hectare blaze in a park that protects a portion of what the province calls the “only inland temperate rainforest in the world,” with some trees around 1,000 years old. The Ancient Forest or Chun T’oh Whudujut Park, about 115 kilometres east of Prince George in the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, covers an area of over 110 square kilometres, including almost seven square kilometres of protected land, according to B.C. Parks. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) saying it’s responding to multiple fires in the park, with the largest spanning 10 hectares. The BCWS said in a statement on social media that initial attack crews are at the scene and a helipad and water relay system have been established.

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Hundreds on evacuation alert as new wildfires sparked across B.C.

CBC News
July 11, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hundreds of people in B.C.’s Interior and north have been told to be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice as dozens of new wildfires have sparked across the province. Residents of Wells, in the Cariboo region, as well as rural residents south of Dawson Creek, in the province’s northeast, have been placed under evacuation alert due to the potential risk of wildfire to homes and lives. An alert means residents must be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Fires have also closed an ancient rainforest park in the B.C. Interior. In response, the province is seeking outside help to aid crews in tackling the more than 150 fires currently burning across the province. …The majority of new fires are in the Prince George and Cariboo fire districts, where the B.C. Wildfire Service’s map shows a cluster of about two dozen new fires sparked in the Cariboo region east of Quesnel.

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Lightning sparks more wildfires in northern Alberta as firefighters face another tough day

CBC News
July 11, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Slightly cooler temperatures are moving into central and northern Alberta where firefighters are still battling multiple out-of-control wildfires including several new ones in the Fort McMurray forest area caused by an overnight lightning storm. Officials with the ministries of Forestry and Parks and Public Safety and Emergency Services provided an update Thursday afternoon along with Alberta Wildfire. …The province is receiving help from other provinces via the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Approximately 140 firefighters have come in from Ontario and New Brunswick to assist Alberta firefighters.  Firefighters are managing to minimize the growth of the largest blaze in the Cattail Lake Complex wildfire burning eight kilometres northeast of Suncor’s Firebag production site and about 70 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray, at 28,000 hectares.

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B.C. wildfires: Number of blazes jumps to 130 as heat wave creates prime fire conditions

Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun
July 10, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The number of active wildfires in B.C. has jumped by more than three dozen to about 140 amid a heat wave, which is creating prime conditions for fire. There are two wildfires of note, meaning they are either highly visible or pose a threat to public safety, located in northwestern B.C. The BC Wildfire Service says smoke from the two-square-kilometre Little Oliver Creek fire will be visible from Highway 16 and the Terrace, B.C. area, while the growing 3.5-square-kilometre Hook Creek fire is burning out of control to the north, near the Yukon boundary. In northeastern B.C., the Fort Nelson First Nation issued an evacuation order Tuesday for its Kahntah reserve, telling residents they had to leave by boat due to the threat of an out-of-control blaze discovered the day before. 

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Evacuations end for Labrador City a week after wildfire forced out thousands

The Canadian Press in CTV News
July 22, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Labrador City residents will soon be returning home after a wildfire forced an evacuation last week. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey has said the evacuation order officially lifts at noon Monday, though essential workers and their families were allowed to return over the weekend. Furey said in a statement Saturday the gradual return would “allow residents of Labrador City to return home in a safe and orderly manner.” More than 7,000 residents of Labrador City were ordered to evacuate last week after a sudden shift in conditions reignited the once-smouldering fire and it moved toward the town. Labrador City Mayor Belinda Adams said the fire that had threatened the city is now “very low risk,” and rain was helping crews who are working to put out hot spots.

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Ground assault begins on Labrador City wildfire that forced thousands to evacuate

The Canadian Press in Victoria Times Colonist
July 18, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

LABRADOR CITY, N.L. — Firefighters began attacking a fire near Labrador City from the ground Thursday, marking a new stage in the effort to get the roaring wildfire under control. Crews have been dousing the flames from above using water bombers and helicopters, but Jeff Motty, the province’s forest fire duty officer, said adding a ground attack is an important step forward in the battle against any forest fire. “Once it’s safe for us to put firefighters on the ground, that’s how a fire actually gets put out,” he said in an interview. “It’s the boots on the ground that ultimately put the fires out.” Labrador City is home to more than 7,000 people and they were ordered to evacuate last week after a sudden shift in conditions sent the once-smouldering fire roaring back to life and moving quickly toward the town. 

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Mayor Welcomes Rain as Crews Continue to Battle Forest Fire in Labrador City

VOCM News Now
July 17, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Belinda Adams

It is raining in Labrador City, which comes as welcome news as crews battle an out-of-control fire that continues to threaten the town. Mayor Belinda Adams says she has never been happier to stand in the rain. Adams says the fire is currently listed as a Category 1, but that doesn’t mean the town is out of the woods yet. She says the fire is still very hot and is listed as out of control, meaning it is not safe for anyone to return yet. Adams says suppression efforts went well yesterday, and she hopes they can get some crews on the ground today. She says the waterbombers and helicopters do great work, but its the ground crews and mother nature that will put the fire out. Efforts continue to fight the forest fire from the ground and the air. 

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Ontario wildland firefighters sent to Western Canada

By Randy Thoms
Kenora Online
July 16, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ontario is lending support to the forest fire suppression efforts in western Canada. Over 160 personnel with the Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services are working in Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia. The province last week deployed 21 staff to Manitoba, consisting of five four-person initial attack fire ranger crews and an agency representative. A separate contingent of 100 fire rangers, 19 fire management personnel and a 24-person incident management team was sent to Alberta Wildfire with their suppression efforts. Spokesperson Chris Marchand says equipment is also loaned. “An Ontario air attack package that consists of two CL 415 water bombers, a bird dog aircraft and an air attack officer also left the province en route to British Columbia in response to a request for assistance from the BC wildfire service,” says Marchand. One-hundred and fifty hose packs were also loans to Alberta.

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Weather created an ‘extremely aggressive inferno’ as crews continue to battle fire near Labrador City

By Arlette Lazarenko
CBC News
July 13, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The wildfire near Labrador City is still posing challenges on Saturday as residents continue to evacuate. In an update Saturday afternoon, Premier Andrew Furey said the fire is about six kilometres northwest of the community and about one kilometre from the landfill. “It was basically deemed fully under control, if not fully out, on Monday and Tuesday this week. Essentially, yesterday morning it started to smoulder a bit and gain some momentum,” Furey told reporters during a virtual news conference in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. “Around mid-day the weather conditions changed with what is the perfect fire condition, if you will, for spread.” The fire had spread from what was 600 hectares and “fairly controlled” to over 10,000 hectares. It moved 21 kilometres in just four hours, Furey said. “Just an extremely aggressive inferno just outside of Labrador City and led to a very quickly and rapidly changing situation for the residents,” he said.

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Wildfires in California, Utah prompt evacuations after torching homes amid heat wave

By Christopher Cann
USA Today
July 22, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States

Wildfires ignited over the weekend burned hundreds of acres of land in California and Utah, prompting evacuation orders as they torched homes, threatened nearby communities and, in Salt Lake City, burned near the state capitol. The fires roared across the West amid an unrelenting stretch of intense heat that’s expected to continue through the week. The National Weather Service has issued heat warnings and advisories from southern California to Washington, Idaho and Wyoming as triple digit temperatures are expected across multiple states. In Southern California, the so-called Hawarden Fire, just four miles south of downtown Riverside, began on Sunday and grew to 500 acres, forcing residents to leave their homes as the fire rapidly expanded. Three homes were destroyed in a roaring blaze that was captured on video by local news crews. …Another wildfire in Riverside County broke out on Sunday and also spread across 500 acres, triggering evacuation orders that were eventually downgraded.

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Oregon is seeing an ‘aggressive start’ to its wildfire season. Many have been human-caused

By Joni Auden Land
Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 19, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek addressed a group of reporters Friday to detail the state’s response to a series of wildfires this month. “Our wildfire season is off to a very aggressive start,” Kotek said. This year, the governor has already declared five emergency conflagrations in response to various fires, which allows the state to use its resources to protect life and property. Oregon has been no stranger to increasingly numerous and destructive wildfires in recent years, which scientists say is a by-product of human-caused climate change. This year, though, the fires are starting earlier than expected and spreading quickly, a worrying sign as the wildfire season nears its traditional peak in August. Most of the major wildfires this season have been human-caused. The most common cause is people burning debris around their home, and embers escaping to surrounding areas. Loose tow chains and gas-powered lawn mowers can also spark a fire.

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Oregon wildfires: Red flag warning in effect as lightning, high winds expected Sunday

By Jonathan Williams
Salem Statesman Journal
July 21, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Red flag warnings are in place in areas across the state on Sunday as fire danger remains high and winds, lightning and thunderstorms are expected to continue to roll through Oregon. The Oregon State Fire Marshal is asking Oregonians take steps to avoid sparking a fire. There were 81 active fires burning at least 504,692 acres in Oregon as of Sunday morning, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal. “This latest round of weather is extremely concerning,” said Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. “Our firefighters are doing everything thing they can to rise to this immense challenge, but they are taxed, and we need our fellow Oregonians’ help. Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.” Here’s the latest updates on wildfires burning across the state.

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Crews address numerous fires across Oregon following heat wave, lightning

Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 18, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

A series of 100+ degree days across Oregon in the past week and lightning storms that swept across the region have caused fires across the state to start or grow. The Pilot Rock Fire near the town in Umatilla County is the latest to spark, quickly reaching more than 20,000 acres burned as of 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the Sheriff’s Office. While the fires have not reached major population centers so far, they have degraded air quality in some parts of the state. People living in Bend saw their air dip to very unhealthy levels in the early hours of Thursday morning. The fires in Southern and Eastern Oregon have also proven to be a dramatic turn from cooler, wetter weather in the spring that kept fire danger low. According to state fire officials, thousands of residences in Harney, Wasco, Morrow and Jackson counties have the potential to be threatened by fires currently burning. 

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Oregon governor declares state of emergency over wildfire threat

By Darryl Coote
United Press International
July 16, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Gov. Tina Kotek has declared a state of emergency over the threat caused by wildfires burning throughout Oregon. At least eight wildfires were burning in the northwestern state early Tuesday, according to state fire officials. The largest is the Cow Valley Fire, which ignited Thursday about 9 miles east of Ironside, Ore. It has consumed more than 132,500 acres with officials stating it was only 5% contained. “Firefighters are working around the clock to suppress the Cow Valley Fire,” fire officials said in a statement. Officials believe it was human caused. Kotek on Friday invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act over the Cow Valley Fire, and on Monday she declared a State of Emergency, retroactive to Saturday and that will run until Oct. 1, the end of the fire season in the fall. “Wildfires are growing at a concerning pace. Hot and windy conditions this weekend, including forecasted lightning in some areas, are threatening even larger wildfires,” she said.

Additional coverage by the Oregon Department of Forestry: Oregon receiving out of state help to fight numerous wildfires

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Large wildfires already burning in Oregon as heat wave increases fire danger

By Meagan Cuthill and Jeff Thompson
Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 15, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

So far this summer, wildfires have burned tens of thousands of acres in Oregon. We’ve reached mid-July with dry conditions and excessive heat throughout the Pacific Northwest. So far this summer, wildfires have burned tens of thousands of acres in Oregon. Between the start of fire season in June and late last week, the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon and Washington has recorded 100 human-caused fires. “We’re entering a very dangerous time period in the Pacific Northwest wildfire season,” said Ed Hiatt, USFS Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations. As fire crews tackle putting out these preventable fires, extremely hot and dry conditions are significantly ramping up fire danger across the region. …The Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported as of Monday that about 5,000 people in Oregon were under some sort of evacuation order.

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Shelly Fire burning more than 15,000 acres, fire activity expected to increase

By Molly O’Brien
Klamath Falls Herald and News
July 15, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

A Siskiyou County wildfire in Klamath National Forest is ravaging more than 15,000 acres as of Monday morning, a growth of 5,000 acres since Friday. Immediate evacuation of Zone 2203-A has been ordered after the fire jumped Patterson Creek on Saturday. The Monday morning update from Klamath National Forest Service reported firefighting efforts are focused on protecting the neighboring California communities of Etna, Quartz Valley and Greenview. “Resources are in place along Shackleford Ridge, progressing southwest towards Campbell and Cliff Lakes,” the news release reported. Dry lightning storms throughout the weekend prompted crews to retreat to ensure firefighter safety.

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Horse Gulch fire swells to over 12K acres Sunday; some evacuees can return home

By Sonny Tapia
The Missoulian
July 14, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

The Horse Gulch fire northeast of Helena grew to 12,797 acres, officials reported early Sunday, and it remains 0% contained. The fire, which was human-caused and started Tuesday afternoon, is five miles south of York and two miles north of Canyon Ferry. Early Saturday, the fire was reported at 11,607 acres. The fire is now the size of about 20 square miles. …The forest service saw about 1,000 acres of growth during the red flag warning Saturday, including spot fires, according to Sara Rouse, a PIO for the U.S. Forest Service. The spot fires were kept in check by crews, Rouse added. Officials said Sunday, fire activity picked up around 2 p.m. Saturday and caused a roughly five-acre spot fire north of the main fire area.

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For a wildfire-ravaged Oregon community, recovery is a slow process

By Brian Bull
Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 13, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Hotter temperatures mean wildfire season is underway across many parts of the U.S. And while news crews tend to put away the mics and cameras once the firefighters leave, for residents in communities that have burned, the repercussions continue long after the flames are out. Take the quiet rural community of Blue River, Oregon, population of about 800. Almost four years ago, the Holiday Farm Fire nearly burned the town off the map. The path to rebuilding has been a lengthy and expensive one for residents. …“Between supply chains, county building codes, permits being issued, contractors not being available because of the number of structures that were being built all simultaneously, if you name it, we’ve probably faced it,” Melanie Stanley said, a longtime resident and fire department board member.

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Bench Lake Fire Complicated by Dead Trees and Windy Conditions

By Karen Bossick
Eye On Sun Valley
July 14, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

IDAHO — The Bench Lake fire that closed the area around Redfish Lake grew to 150 acres by Saturday evening, up from 66 the day before. “We are up at our family cabin at Fisher Creek and watched the fire grow immensely (Saturday)–very scary,” said Blaine County Commissioner Muffy Davis. Firefighters said they encountered active fire behavior with single trees and groups of trees torching. Numerous structures are threatened. The fire is zero percent contained. Local Type 3 Incident commander Chris Belliston, whose team operated from the Stanley Ranger Station, said firefighters were able to slow fire movement “considerably” on Friday thanks to water drops from scoopers. Bench Lake and a rocky outcrop are holding the fire in check on the west side. Firefighters had to contend with increased fire activity from increased winds on Saturday, however.

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100 human-caused wildfires since June

By US FOREST SERVICE Pacific Northwest Region
Herald and News
July 12, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

PORTLAND — Since June, there have been 100 human-caused wildfires on national forests and grasslands in Oregon and Washington, according to a news release from the US Forest Service. While firefighters have been largely successful in putting out these preventable fires, the extremely hot and dry conditions are significantly ramping up fire danger across the region. “We’re entering a very dangerous time period in the Pacific Northwest wildfire season,” said Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations. “Combined with recent heat, we’re preparing for the potential of dry lightning and gusty winds across much of eastern Oregon.” Local responders are closely tracking these deteriorating conditions where any new wildfire will have the potential to spread rapidly and burn intensely right from the star, the release said. And as firefighters are responding to lightning-sparked fires a preventable, human-caused wildfire can limit availability of needed engines, dozer, helicopters, and other resources.

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Utah’s still-burning Silver King wildfire is one of the biggest in the nation

By Abigail Gray and Megan Banta
The Salt Lake Tribune
July 11, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

At nearly 15,000 acres, the Silver King Fire ripping through Fishlake National Forest is one of the biggest actively burning wildfires in the nation. At least two active wildfires in the West are bigger: The Lake Fire (2024) northeast of Los Olivos, California, was burning about 34,015 acres as of Thursday, and the Wilder Fire in Humboldt County, Nevada, had grown to 16,830 acres. Both started within days of the Silver King Fire, but they are at least partially contained — the Lake Fire is 16% contained, and the Wilder Fire is 40% contained. Another wildfire near Ruidoso, New Mexico, has burned more than 17,500 acres since June 17 but is nearly completely contained.

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Zero percent contained: Silver King and Deer Spring wildfires continue to rage out of control in southern Utah

By Mark Eddington
The Salt Lake Tribune
July 10, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

St. George — Scores of firefighters in southern Utah are still struggling to rein in two major fires, braving intense heat, high winds and rugged terrain to bring the blazes under control. About 350 firefighters on the ground and a small fleet of tankers and helicopters in the air continued their battle to extinguish the Silver King Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 5 and grew from 10,800 acres Monday to 11,290 acres on Tuesday and is zero percent contained. The fire’s spread prompted the Fishlake National Forest officials to close a vast area to the public. The closure, which will remain in effect through Aug. 30 unless rescinded, extends from Interstate 70 and Castle Rock Campground south to Tenmile Creek, and from Mount Baldy and the Fish Creek drainage area east to just short of Marysvale.

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Crews continue mitigation efforts as Deer Springs Fire grows

KMYU
July 9, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

KANE COUNTY, Utah — The Deer Springs Fire has grown to 11,888 acres and 10% containment. The fire was first discovered around 1 p.m. Sunday on BLM land in Kane County, south of Bryce Canyon, near Skutumpah and Timber Creek roads in the Deer Springs area. Officials with Utah Fire Info said the fire appeared to be human caused, but that it is still under investigation. 154 fire personnel are working to mitigate the flames. On Tuesday, fire crews worked to secure the fire line on both flanks of the fire. Crews are continuing fire line construction to the south and containing any smaller fires that migrated off the rim. …Winds out of the north-northwest are reportedly favorable to suppression tactics, although Red Flag Warnings remain in effect through Wednesday evening.

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Oregon wildfire update: Larch Creek Fire brings evacuations near Dufur

By Elliott Deins & Zach Urness
The Register-Guard
July 10, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

Multiple wildfires are burning around Oregon, and evacuation warnings are in place. Here’s the latest on the fires burning statewide. A fast-moving wildfire has brought evacuations near Dufur after burning 3,500 acres of grass and timber in Central Oregon. The Larch Creek Fire is 5 miles southwest of Dufur, closest to Friend, burning west of Highway 97. The fire has brought level 3 “go now” evacuations in the Tygh Valley area west of White River Falls State Park. …“The fire is currently burning with moderate-to-high spread,” ODF said late Tuesday night. No structures have burned yet, officials said. …The Salt Creek Fire in Southern Oregon has grown to 3,300 acres. On Monday night, fire crews used cooler evening temperatures to build and improve the line, increasing the fires containment to 2%, according to a news release.

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Wharton State Forest wildfire was started by fireworks, New Jersey fire service says

By Alexandra Simon
CBS News
July 7, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US East

TABERNACLE, N.J. — A wildfire that has burned 4,000 acres of South Jersey’s Wharton State Forest was started by fireworks, the New Jersey State Forest Service said Sunday. The department said the fire, named the Tea Time Hill Wildfire, started late on Thursday, July 4 after fireworks were lit inside the forest. The Apple Pie Hill Fire Tower detected the fire around 9 a.m. the following day. As of Sunday afternoon, the fire was 75% contained. Though NJFFS previously said a residential structure and a hunting club were threatened by the blaze, both threats were cleared as of Saturday morning. The fire service said no structures are currently threatened by the fire, and another update is expected to be released at 3 p.m.

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