Wildfire Season in Canada

"The images we have seen so far this season are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada."

"The current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity."

"We are expecting further deployments from these countries, including France, in the coming days and weeks."

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, Canada

 

"We’re not expecting any big rain soaking systems to come through unfortunately, so, looking at the forecast, fires could continue to grow."

"Depending on the wind direction changing, if we get that flow from the east that will take some of the smoke out of Southern Ontario and push it into Northern and Western Ontario."

Victoria Nurse, meteorologist, Ontario Storm Prediction Centre

Smoke from wildfires hangs over Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 6.  Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

So far this fledgling wildfire season in Canada, typically stretching from May to September, fire-fighting crews battled 2,214 wildfires that have burned over three million hectares so far. The ten-year average for Canada sees 1,624 fires that end up burning roughly 254,429 hectares throughout a typical fire season. Close to the entire region of western Canada is listed as of June at a well-above average risk for wildfires.

Close to all of the Northwest Territories and northern Ontario, a large swath of southern Ontario through to Toronto and the Niagara region, along with extreme western portions of Quebec are also seen at above-average risk. There is no relief on the near horizon, since forecasts list July and August as being nearly as intense in wildfire threats looming, as June.

 

 

Of the 413 wildfires burning across Canada at the present time, 249 are considered to be out of control. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre lists Quebec as fighting 161 wildfires, Alberta with 69, 62 in British Columbia and 45 in Ontario. Air quality advisories have been issued across much of southern Ontario from smoke billowing south from Quebec fires, which have also affected New York State.

The situation is sufficiently dire that through mutual aid agreements inter-agency firefighters are being deployed across Canada, aided by 957 international firefighters from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with additional crews expected from Costa Rica. The Canadian military is dispatching units to bolster firefighting efforts with 150 soldiers fighting blazes near Fox Creek and Fort Chipewyan in Albert and parts of Quebec.

A 200-person rapid response team from the second battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment based out of CFB Gagetown, who just completed wildfire training is heading to Nova Scotia along with military specialists. New wildfire forecasts are described as "sobering", with Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson stating every province and territory across Canada will be required to remain on high alert.

"While this is not yet Canada's most severe fire season, if this trajectory continues it very well could be", he warned. Over 120 Canadians were forced to leave their homes, 26,206 currently under evacuation orders in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.

A vehicle and home damaged by a wildfire is seen in Hammond's Plains, N.S., during a media tour, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL, Tim Krochak)