Wikipedia

2024 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.

2024 Canadian wildfires
Fires advancing near Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada - May 12, 2024
Date(s)February 2024-present
LocationBritish Columbia
Alberta
Map
Map
Perimeters of 2024 Canadian wildfires - season to date (map data)
Season
← 2023

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.[4]

Wildfires

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Alberta

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See also: Jasper wildfire
 
A large plume of smoke emanates from Jasper on July 23.

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 solders 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] As of August 2, the Jasper fire continued to grow 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]

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.[4]

British Columbia

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Fires approaching Fort Nelson on May 11.

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.[19] Over 4,500 people were displaced; they were able to return on May 27.[20] 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.[20] 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.[21] On July 24, the Dogtooth Forest Service Road fire destroyed 15 structures, including four homes, in Golden.[22]

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.[23] Several hundred people were displaced, including a 60-person Hare Krishna community in Venables Valley and the 380-person village of Slocan.[24][25] On July 22, lightning struck over 20,000 times in the province, mostly in the northern regions, and sparked over 70 new fires.[26] 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.[27] On July 23, the province had deployed 977 firefighters and 178 aviation crews.[26] The fire covered 14,300 hectares, but on July 26 the evacuation order was lifted.[28]

 
Wildfire smoke fills the Slocan Valley on July 27. The village of Slocan, visible at the bottom of the lake, was evacuated.

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.[29][30]

On July 28, BC Wildfire Services reported 372 fires, classifying 177 as out of control.[31]

Manitoba

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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.[32] 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.[33]

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.[34] 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.[34]

Newfoundland and Labrador

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Dry conditions and lightning strikes caused several fires in Labrador. By June 14, there were seven major fires with six out of control.[35] Churchill Falls, the company town that operates the second-largest hydroelectric dam in Canada (Churchill Falls Generating Station), was evacuated on June 19.[36] 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.[36] The evacuation was lifted on July 3.[36]

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.[37] 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.[37][38]

Northwest Territories

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In mid-June, a wildfire forced the evacuation of Fort Good Hope, an isolated community of about 500.[39] 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.[39]

Impacts

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Economic

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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.[40] The federal and provincial governments announced on August 1 that they would spend $57 million on new firefighting equipment over five years.[41]

Environmental

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Emissions from the fires are expected to exceed those of every year since tracking began in 2003, except for the historically bad 2023 season.[4] 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.[42][43] 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".[44]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hillary Andrews. "What are 'zombie fires'?". Fox Weather. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  2. ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "Evacuation orders issued as wildfire grows near Canada's Alberta oil patch". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  3. ^ "Thousands told to evacuate due to British Columbia, Canada wildfire". BBC News. 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c "Summer wildfires and record emissions in the Americas". Copernicus. 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  5. ^ Austen, Ian (2024-05-15). "Wildfire Approaches Canada's Largest Oil-Producing Area. Again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  6. ^ a b "Officials to provide updates on Alberta wildfires on Wednesday after Fort McMurray evacuation". CTV News. 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  7. ^ a b Plante, Frédérik-Xavier D. (2024-05-11). "Wildfire south of Fort McMurray grows in size as residents told to be ready to evacuate". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  8. ^ "This is an Alberta Emergency Alert. The County of Grande Prairie has issued an evacuation order due to Wildfire". Government of Alberta. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  9. ^ Hogan, Stephanie (2023-05-11). "Some relief in Grande Prairie region as parts of evacuation order lifted". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  10. ^ Patterson, Kelsey (2024-05-12). "Edmonton air quality at high risk Sunday due to BC wildfire smoke". CityNews Edmonton. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  11. ^ "'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray". Edmonton. 2024-05-14. Archived from the original on 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  12. ^ Sousa, Aaron (2024-05-18). "Fort McMurray evacuation order lifted after subdued wildfire behaviour". Global News. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  13. ^ "Wildfires in Alberta, British Columbia prompt evacuation orders". Reuters. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  14. ^ "A first look at damage caused by massive wildfire that ripped through Jasper". CBC. 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  15. ^ Snowdon, Wallis (2024-07-27). "Jasper evacuees wait to learn fate of homes, list of all structures destroyed to be released today". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  16. ^ Chow, Denise (2024-07-26). "Smoke from wildfires in Canada and the West Coast spreads across North America". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  17. ^ Bellefontaine, Michelle (2024-08-02). "Out-of-control Jasper wildfire grows by 7,500 hectares as weather heats up". CBC. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  18. ^ "Fallen tree fatally injures Alberta firefighter battling Jasper-area wildfire". CBC. 2024-08-04. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  19. ^ Kulkarni, Akshay (2024-07-23). "Multiple homes destroyed in Fort Nelson wildfire, officials say". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  20. ^ a b Kulkarni, Akshay (2024-05-28). "Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire evacuees allowed to return home". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  21. ^ "Floods and fires affecting highways in and out of Fort Nelson". CBC. 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  22. ^ Brunoro, Michele (2024-08-02). "B.C. wildfire near Golden still out of control". British Columbia. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  23. ^ "Evacuations ordered throughout B.C. Interior as wildfires grow". CBC. 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  24. ^ "Hare Krishna village ordered to evacuate due to B.C. wildfire". CBC. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  25. ^ "Hundreds under evacuation order in B.C. as wildfires grow". CBC. 2024-07-29. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  26. ^ a b Krause, Kraig (2024-07-23). "B.C. wildfires: Seniors home residents being moved in Williams Lake". British Columbia. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  27. ^ Kelly, Austin (2024-07-24). "Crews continue to battle Antler Creek fire near Barkerville, Wells". The Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  28. ^ Nguyen, Alex (2024-07-31). "Historic B.C. town no longer under wildfire evacuation". CBC. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  29. ^ "Sooke Potholes Park fire being held: B.C. Wildfire Service". CBC. 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  30. ^ Steacy, Lisa (2024-07-30). "Wildfire burning near Sooke, B.C., now being held". British Columbia. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  31. ^ Previl, Sean (2024-07-28). "Evacuation order issued for Slocan, B.C., surrounding areas due to wildfires". Global News. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  32. ^ "Massive northwestern Manitoba fire has grown, province says in latest update". CBC. 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  33. ^ "Rainy conditions help keep northwestern Manitoba fire at bay as residents begin to return". CBC. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  34. ^ a b "More evacuations from northeastern Manitoba as wildfire balloons in size". CBC. 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  35. ^ Whitten, Elizabeth (2024-06-14). "Lightning sparks new fires in Labrador, raising total to 7, with all but 1 out of control". CBC. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  36. ^ a b c Head, Jenna (2024-06-20). "Evacuation order lifted in Churchill Falls as forest fire anxieties ease". CBC. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  37. ^ a b Armstrong, Lyndsay (2024-07-22). "Labrador City wildfire evacuations end". CTVNews. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  38. ^ Whitten, Elizabeth (2024-07-18). "Les pompiers qui luttent contre le feu près de Labrador City font des progrès". Radio-Canada (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  39. ^ a b Blake, Emily (2024-07-31). "GNWT, RCMP investigating Fort Good Hope wildfire". Cabin Radio. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  40. ^ Stephenson, Amanda (2024-07-26). "Jasper wildfire could cost insurance industry an estimated $700M". Global News. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  41. ^ Fortner, Cole (2024-08-01). "Alberta, feds invest $57M for new equipment to battle wildfires". CityNews Edmonton. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  42. ^ Brennan, Jennifer L. (2024-07-30). "Canadian Wildfires and Recent PyroCb Events". Earthdata. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  43. ^ Muir, Martha (2024-08-01). "Wildfire intensity rises across northern hemisphere". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  44. ^ Singh, Inayat (2024-08-01). "Wildfires devastated Jasper. The soot and ash are putting Alberta's glaciers at risk, scientists warn". CBC. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
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