| 2024 Canadian wildfires | |
| Location: | British Columbia Alberta |
| Date: | February 2024-present |
| Is Season: | yes |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Season Name: | Canadian wildfires |
The 2024 Canadian wildfires are an ongoing series of wildfires in Canada. The fires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in communities throughout the country, including Labrador City (the largest-ever evacuation in Newfoundland and Labrador's history), and Jasper, Alberta, where the Jasper wildfire has destroyed one-third of the town's structures.
Canada experienced record-setting wildfires during 2023. About 150 of these fires continued to smoulder over the relatively low-snow winter into 2024 and re-ignited as early as February.[1] By early May, large wildfires had broken out in Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba with evacuation orders displacing thousands.[2] [3] As of August 2, the 2024 season is poised to have the second-highest carbon emissions since 2003, behind only the historically destructive 2023 season.
See also: Climate change in Canada.
Increased temperatures from climate change led to significant drying of living and dead plant matter that helped fuel the destructive 2023 season. Though many of the fires were extinguished, the following winter was warm and saw a reduced snowpack. As early as February 2024, thermal satellite imaging revealed dozens of fires in Alberta and British Columbia, which had likely been smouldering in peat.[4]
See also: Jasper wildfire.
Beginning in mid-May, wildfires began to encroach on Fort McMurray, which had been devastated by fire in 2016.[5] [6] On the evening of May 10, the wildfire designated MWF017 was 16km southeast of Fort McMurray and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo had issued an evacuation alert.[7] The County of Grande Prairie also ordered an evacuation because of a wildfire near Teepee Creek,[7] [8] and about 100 Canadian Forces soldiers were deployed to the region.[9] Concurrently, smoke from fires in British Columbia caused severe air quality issues in Edmonton[10]
By May 15, four neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray (Beacon Hill, Abasand, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace) were ordered to evacuate, displacing thousands and causing gridlock on Alberta Highway 63.[6] [11] The evacuation orders for Fort McMurray were ended on May 18 after a combination of firefighting and favourable weather, with about 6,600 affected residents returning.[12]
Fires grew through the summer, and on July 20, there were 158 wildfires recorded with 55 reported to be "out of control." The Northern Alberta communities of John D'Or Prairie 215, Fox Lake and Garden River were evacuated, covering about 5,000 people.[13] In Jasper, an ongoing fire caused widespread destruction, forcing the evacuation of 25,000 people on July 22, destroying 358 of 1,113 structures, and consuming over 32,000 hectares.[14] [15] Smoke from the fire combined with that from Park Fire in California and reduced air quality as far as New England and Mexico[16]
The Jasper fire continued to grow through August along its southern border.[17] A 24-year-old firefighter was killed northeast of Jasper on August 3 after being struck by a falling tree.[18] Residents were allowed to return on a temporary basis on August 16, but many of the remaining structures suffered significant damage from heat, smoke, and water, and powerful fires continued to burn to the south.[19] After almost four weeks, the Jasper fire was brought under control and declared held on August 17.[20]
The estimated carbon emissions for July 2024 were the most of any July dating back to 2003, when the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service began collecting data.[21]
The town of Fort Nelson and the Fort Nelson First Nation were forced to evacuate on May 10 because of the Parker Lake wildfire to the west of the region. Highways 77 and 97 were closed because of the fires.[22] Over 4,500 people were displaced; they were able to return on May 27.[23] Ten properties and four homes in Fort Nelson were destroyed. The First Nation did not lose any structures, but culturally significant areas near Snake River were damaged.[23] As of July 23, the Patry Creek fire to the north continued to burn out of control, covering 775 square kilometres and limiting access to Highway 77.[24] On July 24, the Dogtooth Forest Service Road fire destroyed 15 structures, including four homes, in Golden.[25]
More fires began developing in the summer in the southeast and central interior, with hundreds spawning by mid-July. Parts of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Central Kootenay Regional District, and Cook's Ferry Indian Band territory were ordered to evacuate.[26] Several hundred people were displaced, including a 60-person Hare Krishna community in Venables Valley and the 380-person village of Slocan.[27] [28] On July 22, lightning struck over 20,000 times in the province, mostly in the northern regions, and sparked over 70 new fires.[29] The Antler Creek fire in the Cariboo Region grew rapidly overnight on July 22, forcing the evacuations of about 300 residents and 700 tourists from Wells, Barkerville, Bowron Lake, and nearby areas.[30] On July 23, the province had deployed 977 firefighters and 178 aviation crews.[29] The fire covered 14,300 hectares, but on July 26 the evacuation order was lifted.[31]
A 230 hectare fire spawned on Vancouver Island on July 22, 5km south of Sooke Lake. The fire was held, but required 70 firefighters and three helicopters and forced the precautionary closure of nearby Sooke Potholes Regional Park.[32] [33]
On July 28, BC Wildfire Services reported 372 fires, classifying 177 as out of control.[34] In early August, more out of control fires forced the evacuation of about 100 properties in the Southern Interior, including areas north of the village Lytton, which was destroyed in a 2021 wildfire..[35]
Fires in Manitoba's northwest forced the evacuation of Cranberry Portage, a community of about 650 people, several nearby cottage subdivisions, and Bakers Narrows Provincial Park on May 11. The fires were likely sparked by lightning and fueled by high winds and dry conditions.[36] The fire spread to 37,000 hectares in the area and destroyed two residence, five cottages, and two garages before being brought under control. Residents were able to return on May 19.[37]
In July, fires erupted in the northeast, south of Gods Lake. Smoke severely degraded the regional air quality and airplanes carrying supplies for the remote communities were unable to land safely.[38] By July 31, the fires spread to 24,320 hectares and the smoke forced the evacuation of several First Nations communities, affecting about 250 people from Manto Sipi Cree Nation, Wasagamack, Red Sucker Lake and Gods Lake First Nations.[38] The fire grew to 30,000 hectares by August 2, increasing the number of evacuees to over 1,000 and forcing Red Sucker Lake to declare a state of emergency because of power outages and relentless smoke.[39] A fire first detected on August 4 grew out of control and on August 13 forced evacuations at Bunibonibee, Nisichawayasihk, and Tataskweyak Cree Nations.[40]
Dry conditions and lightning strikes caused several fires in Labrador. By June 14, there were seven major fires with six out of control.[41] Churchill Falls, the company town that operates the second-largest hydroelectric dam in Canada (Churchill Falls Generating Station), was evacuated on June 19.[42] The power plant continued to operate with a skeleton staff, until they were forced to evacuate on June 25 after a fire jumped the Churchill River.[42] The evacuation was lifted on July 3.[42]
Over 7,000 residents were forced to evacuate Labrador City on July 12 after a fire rapidly grew from 400 to 14,000 hectares and advanced towards the city. It was the province's largest ever evacuation.[43] The city is home to the Labrador West Health Centre, and over 200 health care workers and their patients were evacuated to Happy Valley-Goose Bay—along with the rest of the city—putting significant strain on the local health care system.[43] [44]
In mid-June, a wildfire forced the evacuation of Fort Good Hope, an isolated community of about 500.[45] It is suspected that strong winds fed an abandoned campfire, which grew to 8,200 hectares before it was brought under control. Residents were able to return on July 6. Although no buildings or infrastructure were destroyed, a helicopter pilot who was assisting with wildfire management died when his aircraft crashed.[45]
The territory saw all-time record-high temperatures in August, with parts of the Arctic Circle reaching 36C.[46] Fires continued through the month and increased in severity, covering most of the territory in a layer of thick smoke and putting much of it under "extreme fire danger." The smoke turned the skies orange and reduced visibility significantly, forcing the closure of portions of Highway 1.[47] In some areas, fires burned over 100,000 hectares of land per day; between August 10–11 alone, there were 313,000 hectares burned, which is approximately 60% of a typical year's fires.[46]
Compared to the five-year average, Saskatchewan experienced more wildfires than expected, and fires were threatening power and telecommunications infrastructure in early July.[48] Smoke from fires in the west began causing air quality advisories in most of the province.[49] On August 14, Sandy Bay—a village of 1,800—was evacuated because an encroaching out-of-control fire from the northwest had reached within 20km. Leaders of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and the Prince Albert Grand Council criticized the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency for refusing to deploy First Nations firefighters to contain the fire in time.[50]
By mid-August, the fires had burned over 3.4 million hectares of land, and over 700 international firefighters had joined the efforts to extinguish them.[51] Twenty-one First Nations communities had been evacuated, and 74 have been impacted.[51]
The Jasper fire is estimated to cost insurance companies up to $700 million, which would make it one of the most expensive in Canadian history.[52] The federal and provincial governments announced on August 1 that they would spend $57 million on new firefighting equipment over five years.[53]
Emissions from the fires are expected to exceed those of every year since tracking began in 2003, except for the historically bad 2023 season.[21] Soot and ash from Jasper landed on the Athabasca Glacier, allowing the glacier to absorb more sunlight. Combined with rising temperatures from climate change, the deposits have put the glacier into what hydrologist John Pomeroy described as a "death spiral".[54]
Massive plumes of smoke from the fires in mid-July formed trails spanning thousands of kilometres away across Canada and the mid-western United states, reducing air quality.[55] [56] As fires continued through August, they reduced air quality and caused hazy skies in almost all of Canada, as well bordering states and the Northeastern United States.[57] [58] Smoke in the west plagued the Canadian Prairies, and major cities including Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Flin Flon reached 10+ (the highest value) on the Air Quality Health Index.[59] The smoke traveled east across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching Western Europe on August 17 and continuing to Scandinavia.[60]