Massive fires rage in Pacific Northwest and Canada, sending smoke south (2024)

Large wildfires in western Canada and the western United States have burned hundreds of thousands of acres over the past week, forcing thousands of people to evacuate, sending thick plumes of smoke southeastward and compromising air quality. Many of the fires have erupted from pinpoint lightning strikes amid record-breaking heat and expanding drought.

Several massive blazes covering at least 100,000 acres are burning in Oregon and western Canada.

With the smoke from the fires infiltrating the Rockies, air quality alerts were in effect Wednesday morning in most of eastern Colorado, including Denver; northern Wyoming, including Yellowstone National Park; and eastern Oregon. Much of western Canada is also under air quality alerts. Some smoke has even spread into the Midwest.

Both Denver and Chicago have ranked among the top 10 most polluted large cities in the world since Tuesday, according to IQAir.com.

Scorching temperatures have helped fuel the rapidly spreading fires. Temperatures have topped 100 degrees as far north as southern Canada, while California and other parts of the western United States are enduring their hottest 30-day stretch on record. Boise, Idaho, has reached at least 99 degrees on a record 16 straight days.

The current fire situation

Because of the number of fires and their size, both the United States and Canada have raised their scales signaling the need for firefighting resources to Level 5 out of 5. In Canada, international crews from New Zealand and Australia have arrived to assist.

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As of Wednesday morning, 69 large wildfires were burning in the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

“Many wildfires in the Northwest area continue to have active to extreme fire behavior, with evacuation orders in effect on 15 fires,” the center wrote in a recent update. “Evacuation orders are also in effect for several fires in California, the Northern Rockies and the Great Basin.”

In Canada, hundreds of fires have started in recent days.

“National mobilization is heavily committed and increased measures need to be taken to support agencies,” the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center wrote in its latest situation report.

The center warned that the potential for more fires is “high to extreme.”

Big flare up of wildfires in Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta today. Several smoke plumes appear on visible satellite tonight. pic.twitter.com/8K5D1pYKgA

— Collin Gross (@CollinGrossWx) July 24, 2024

Large and notable fires

Some of the worst fires in western North America have been in Oregon, where a lengthy state of emergency was issued earlier in the month for the “risk of catastrophic wildfires.” The state is currently home to 31 large fires and the five largest in the Lower 48 states, ranging from 53,000 to nearly 240,000 acres as of late Tuesday.

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“Never seen 31 ‘large’ fires burning in Oregon at once and I’ve been doing this for three decades!” Mark Nelsen, a meteorologist for Portland affiliate KPTV, posted on social media.

Only about a week old, the Durkee Fire in far-eastern Oregon was started by lightning and has rapidly consumed 240,000 acres. While it has mainly affected rural areas, some locations have been evacuated around the fire’s perimeter.

The nearby Cow Valley Fire has also burned more than 133,000 acres.

“This is really shaping up to be a monster fire year across the Pacific Northwest,” U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Holly Krake told Oregon Public Radio.

To the south, California’s Lake Fire, which began north of Santa Barbara on July 5, has torched about 40,000 acres but recently came under nearly full containment, and evacuation orders have been lifted. A smaller blaze, started by fireworks Sunday, ran through a Riverside neighborhood in Southern California, burning down half a dozen homes.

In western Canada, amid hundreds of wildfires burning, about 25,000 people were evacuated around Jasper National Park on Tuesday. While a majority of the blazes are in British Columbia and Alberta, significant fire activity is also occurring across central to northern Saskatchewan.

Smoke-filled skies

The footprint of wildfire smoke over North America is quite substantial, spreading as far south as Mexico. In most spots, the smoke is at high altitudes and not close enough to the ground to affect air quality.

However, the smoke is affecting air quality near the source of the fires and where atmospheric steering currents direct it.

Across western Canada, the unhealthiest air is over the largely wilderness zone between Fort McMurray and Yellowknife. Poor air quality has also been a frequent issue in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina.

In the north-central United States, the smoke has caused the air quality index to reach Code Orange to even Code Red levels. Code Orange levels are considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, while Code Red is unhealthy for everyone.

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Parts of North Dakota had Code Red levels Tuesday, while much of the area from the High Plains toward Colorado witnessed Code Orange.

While much of the smoke in North America is from Canada, fires in the Pacific Northwest and California are also contributing. Parts of eastern Oregon reached Code Purple levels for very unhealthy air early Wednesday.

How this year compares to the past

The 3.5 million acres burned by fires in the United States so far this year is about four times the area burned last year at this time but is around the average area over the last decade. California’s acreage burned is about twice the norm to date.

Canada’s 5.7 million acres burned have already surpassed the nation’s annual average, following the record-setting season last year, when just shy of 43 million acres were lost. While this year’s activity pales in comparison to last year’s, the number of acres burned is already higher than in 11 of the last 20 years.

My goodness...

That's what the BC interior looks like after prolonged heat and numerous lightning events. 🌩️🔥 #bcfire

In BC, there are now:

- 428 active wildfires (and counting)
- 266 of these (62%) are out of control
- 119 started **in the last 24 hours** pic.twitter.com/CxpFuVpTe0

— Kyle Brittain (@BadWeatherKyle) July 24, 2024

Any relief ahead?

Weather conducive to fires is expect to persist through at least Thursday in the Western United States, where high temperatures could reach at least 100 to 105 degrees, threatening records in some cases. On Wednesday, the fire threat is “critical” from eastern Oregon to southwestern Montana, according to the National Weather Service. Dry thunderstorms, producing lightning but little rain, could ignite new fires.

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After Friday, the Weather Service says, “the overall fire threat should lessen a bit.”

In the longer term, weather outlooks suggest the fire risk will be above normal through at least September.

In western Canada, conditions are improving somewhat as the heat has eased. A period of cooler and wetter weather could set up late this week and into next week, especially in northwestern Canada.

The long-range outlook calls for a high to extreme risk of high fire activity in southwestern Canada through September, with somewhat lower risks to the north.

Jason Samenow contributed to this report.

Massive fires rage in Pacific Northwest and Canada, sending smoke south (2024)

FAQs

Where are the wildfires in Canada located? ›

Which cities or areas are affected by the wildfires? The wildfires are affecting multiple areas, including the Saranagati Hare Krishna village near Cache Creek, Alberta, and northeastern British Columbia, especially areas west of Edmonton and northwest of Calgary.

What is the smoke from wildfires? ›

Smoke is made up small particles, gases and water vapor. Water vapor makes up the majority of smoke. The remainder includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, irritant volatile organic compounds, air toxics and very small particles.

How many fires in Canada in 2024? ›

National Wildland Fire Situation Report
2024 (to date)Prescribed
Number3,91710
Area (ha)2,713,445890

How many fires are there in Canada? ›

There are roughly 8,000 wildfires in Canada each year.

What states are affected by smoke from Canada? ›

An animation NASA released Friday showed smoke blanketing British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories in Canada, and drifting over Montana, Colorado, Kansas, Wisconsin and other parts of the Midwest.

Why are wildfires happening in Canada? ›

But Canada's vast land and warming temperatures because of climate change are also playing a part, Prof McBean said. Warming temperatures in particularly dry regions of Canada, like the north-west provinces, can make those areas "more vulnerable and likely to have fires occur", he said.

How far can smoke from a wildfire travel? ›

Wildfires can blanket the surrounding area with smoke, raising the level of particle pollution to unhealthy concentrations and creating an air quality concern for residents. Because smoke can travel hundreds or thousands of miles, air quality can also be a problem far from the wildfire itself.

What happens if you breathe in smoke from a wildfire? ›

Smoke can irritate your eyes and your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. The amount and length of smoke exposure, as well as a person's age and degree of susceptibility, play a role in determining if someone will experience smoke-related health problems.

What was the worst wildfire in history? ›

The Peshtigo fire was a large forest fire on October 8, 1871, in northeastern Wisconsin, United States, including much of the southern half of the Door Peninsula and adjacent parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

What is the number one cause of fires in Canada? ›

The B.C. government says the majority of wildfires each year are caused by lightning, while in Alberta, the majority are caused by humans — including from off-road vehicles, campfires, fireworks, ammunition, industrial activity, agriculture, power lines and some arson. Some years it's not even close.

What state has the most fires every year? ›

California almost always tops the list of states with the most wildfires, and it's a good example of how some states face greater risk because of their climate.

Which Canadian province has the most wildfires? ›

British Columbia saw the largest number of forest fires in Canada in 2021. That year, there were more than 1,600 individual wildfires in the western province. Alberta followed as the province with the second most numerous wildfires.

Which country has the most wildfires? ›

From 2001 to 2023, Russia had the highest rate of tree cover loss due to fires with an average of 2.53 Mha lost per year.
  • Russia. 2.53 Mha.
  • Canada. 1.56 Mha.
  • United States. 553 kha.
  • Brazil. 460 kha.
  • Australia. 281 kha.

Where are the wildfires burning in Canada? ›

Fires Still Rage in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

Are fires illegal in Canada? ›

Do I Need a Permit for an Open Fire? During fire season, burning permits are required for all outdoor burning. Campfires in rural areas do not require a burning permit and are allowed unless there is a fire ban.

Where are the high risk wildfires in Canada? ›

The overall risk score for each city was calculated by combining the two metrics' equally weighted average from May to September. Kamloops leads the list with a risk score of 9.4/10, indicating extreme wildfire risk due to its high FSR and significantly above-average FSA.

Which province in Canada has the most wildfires? ›

British Columbia saw the largest number of forest fires in Canada in 2021. That year, there were more than 1,600 individual wildfires in the western province. Alberta followed as the province with the second most numerous wildfires.

Is Banff impacted by wildfires? ›

Wildfires in Banff

There is no threat to public safety or infrastructure at this time with no threat to the community of Lake Louise or the town of Banff.

How big are the Canadian wildfires? ›

The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was the worst on record, with 6,551 fires scorching nearly 46 million acres, from the West Coast to the Atlantic provinces and the far north. The impact on the environment, particularly air quality, in both Canada and the United States was profound.

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