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Canada's wildfire season is underway.

Evacuation alert still active for Fort McMurray as out of control fire burns nearby
Thousands of residents of Fort McMurray and the nearby community of Saprae Creek remain on an evacuation alert as an out-of-control wildfire burns south of the city, but municipal officials say in their latest update that winds on Saturday appear to be pushing the flames further south. A massive swathe of burned forest is seen as a wildfire designated MWF017 by the Alberta Wildfire Service, top right, continues to burn near Ft. McMurray, Alta., in a Saturday, May 11, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Alberta Wildfire Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Wildfire south of Fort McMurray grows in size as residents told to be ready to evacuate
An evacuation alert has been issued in Alberta for Fort McMurray as an out-of-control wildfire burns nearby. A wildfire designated MWF017 by the Alberta Wildfire Service is seen burning near Ft. McMurray, Alta., in a May 10, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Alberta Wildfire Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Wildfire mere kilometres from Fort Nelson, B.C., city limits doubles in size again
A hot spot from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burns in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. The B.C. Wildfire Service says the tactical evacuation of "multiple neighbourhoods" is underway in Fort Nelson, as an out-of-control wildfire threatens the town in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
opinion
Into the fire: In the Northwest Territories, we canoed through climate change
Fort McMurray under evacuation alert due to out-of-control wildfire nearby
A view of Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken

What to know about wildfires in Canada

Latest news and updates about wildfires

alberta
Evacuation alert still active for Fort McMurray as out of control fire burns nearby
Thousands of residents of Fort McMurray and the nearby community of Saprae Creek remain on an evacuation alert as an out-of-control wildfire burns south of the city, but municipal officials say in their latest update that winds on Saturday appear to be pushing the flames further south. A massive swathe of burned forest is seen as a wildfire designated MWF017 by the Alberta Wildfire Service, top right, continues to burn near Ft. McMurray, Alta., in a Saturday, May 11, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Alberta Wildfire Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
canada
Wildfire south of Fort McMurray grows in size as residents told to be ready to evacuate
An evacuation alert has been issued in Alberta for Fort McMurray as an out-of-control wildfire burns nearby. A wildfire designated MWF017 by the Alberta Wildfire Service is seen burning near Ft. McMurray, Alta., in a May 10, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Alberta Wildfire Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
british columbia
Wildfire mere kilometres from Fort Nelson, B.C., city limits doubles in size again
A hot spot from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burns in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. The B.C. Wildfire Service says the tactical evacuation of "multiple neighbourhoods" is underway in Fort Nelson, as an out-of-control wildfire threatens the town in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
opinion
Into the fire: In the Northwest Territories, we canoed through climate change
Manjushree Thapa
alberta
Fort McMurray under evacuation alert due to out-of-control wildfire nearby
A view of Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday April 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken
british columbia
Thousands in Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate as fire nears town
A hot spot from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burns in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. The B.C. Wildfire Service says the tactical evacuation of "multiple neighbourhoods" is underway in Fort Nelson, as an out-of-control wildfire threatens the town in the province's northeast.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Quebec forest fire workers vote in favour of strike mandate as summer wildfire season nears
Quebec forest fire workers have voted 99 per cent for a strike mandate as the summer wildfire season approaches. Firefighters work in a forest in Normetal, Que., in a June 11, 2023, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-SOPFEU, Caroline Boyaud, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
canada
Emergency management NGOs prepare for Canada’s wildfire season
Evacuees from the McDougall Creek wildfire gather outsisde the Mount Boucherie Community Centre in West Kelowna, British Columbia, on August 19, 2023. Around 30,000 people were under orders on August 19 to evacuate their homes in western Canada's British Columbia, provincial officials said, as a raging wildfire bore down on the city of Kelowna. (Photo by Darren HULL / AFP) (Photo by DARREN HULL/AFP via Getty Images)
canada
Start of wildfire season better than last year, but risk is high as drought continues
<p>The risk of wildfires remains high in Western Canada but the situation is currently better than it was at this time last year. Burned trees damaged from recent wildfires are seen in Drayton Valley, Alta. on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson</p>
canada
New recruits to BC Wildfire Service hone their skills for a hard season
report on business
Property insurer Intact rolls out pilot project to fireproof homes when wildfires are near
Intact Financial CEO Charles Brindamour said his industry is already seeing the impact of global warming in the increasing frequency of severe storms and changing weather patterns.
canada
Wildland firefighters call for change on frontlines of forest fire fight as season ramps up
Wildland firefighters work to extinguish embers in a forested area of Shining Bank, Alberta, Canada on May 19, 2023. In a country revered for placid landscapes and predictability, weeks of out-of-control wildfires raging across western Canada have ushered in a potent sense of fear, threatening a region that is the epicenter of the country’s oil and gas sector. (Jen Osborne/The New York Times)
energy and resources
Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp utility singed by wildfires
FILE - Fire damage is seen, Sept. 12, 2020, in Mill City, Ore. On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, a jury in Oregon ordered PacifiCorp to pay more than $42 million to 10 victims of devastating wildfires on Labor Day 2020 — the latest verdict in litigation that is expected to see the electric utility on the hook for billions in damages. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)
canada
B.C’s auditor general to review government’s response to 2021 Lytton wildfire
British Columbia's auditor general says his office is doing a review of the province's response to the 2021 wildfire that devastated the community of Lytton, B.C. A fire truck leads a bus down Main Street past damaged structures during a media tour in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Ontario to give wildland firefighters presumptive coverage for cancers, PTSD
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. British Columbia's Peace River Regional District has cancelled an evacuation alert for areas around Chetwynd in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Preparing for wildfire season is a year-round endeavour in Western Canada
This handout picture provided by Alberta wildfire shows firefighters battling fires in Fox Lake that persist despite the cold and snow in Alberta on February 6.
british columbia
Evacuation alert lifted as wildfire in northeastern B.C. now ‘held’
A firefighter directs water on a grass fire burning on an acreage behind a residential property in Kamloops, B.C., Monday, June 5, 2023. British Columbia's Peace River Regional District has cancelled an evacuation alert for areas around Chetwynd in the province's northeast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
british columbia
‘Extreme drought’ in area of early-season wildfire near Chetwynd, B.C.
An out-of-control wildfire in northeastern British Columbia has triggered the province's first evacuation of this year's fire season. A wildfire burns in the Peace River Regional District of British Columbia in a May 5, 2023, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-BC Wildfire Service *MANDATORY CREDIT*
british columbia
B.C. mom distributes air quality monitors after nine-year-old’s asthma death during wildfires
<p>Nine-year-old Carter Vigh, wearing a red sweatshirt, is pictured with his brother Daxton (left), sister Cadence, father James and mother Amber. Carter died of asthma exacerbated by wildfire smoke in July 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Amber Vigh &nbsp;&nbsp;*MANDATORY CREDIT *</p>
british columbia
Fire bans announced in B.C. and Alberta as more than 170 wildfires burn
Trees burned by the Bush Creek East Wildfire are seen above Little Shuswap Lake in Squilax, B.C., Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. The BC Wildfire Service has announced a five-month open fire ban covering much of the province's Interior, as fire season gets off to an early start. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Wildfires in B.C., Alberta signal an early start to a dry, volatile year
Smoke rises from the Burgess Creek wildfire (C20117), located 45 kilometres south of Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada, in this handout photograph released April 20, 2024, taken through the window of a plane. BC Wildfire Service/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
british columbia
‘Trees going up like Roman candles’ as fire season starts early in B.C. and Alberta
Wildfire season is getting an early start in British Columbia's central Interior and Cariboo regions. A hot spot from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burns in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</p>
energy and resources
Wildfire sparked by rupture on TC Energy’s NGTL gas pipeline under control; investigation continues
A wildfire burns near Edson, Alta. in this Tuesday, April 16, 2024, handout photo. A natural gas pipeline owned by TC Energy Corp. ruptured near Edson, Alta. on Tuesday afternoon, sparking a wildfire. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Alberta Wildfire *MANDATORY CREDIT*
politics
Ottawa boosts funding to train urban firefighters to tackle wildfires
Firefighters with the British Columbia Wildfire Service Titan unit crew work to control the southeastern flank of the Bush Creek wildfire in Turtle Valley, after it destroyed homes and other structures in multiple communities in the North Shuswap region of British Columbia, Canada. August 23, 2023 REUTERS/Jesse Winter
british columbia
B.C. celebrates 10 billion seedlings planted since 1930
A Grand Fir tree at Francis/King Regional Park in Saanich, B.C., is shown on Thursday, May 26, 2016. British Columbia officials are celebrating the planting of 10 billion seedlings since reforestation efforts began nearly a century ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
canada
Urban firefighters to get additional training to also battle wildfire blazes
The federal government is doubling its investment to train urban firefighters to battle wildfires, which pose a growing threat to Canada's cities and towns. Firefighters drive across a farm while monitoring a controlled burn near a wildfire northwest of Vernon, B.C., Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
energy and resources
Canadian energy producers say they are prepared for 2024 drought, wildfire risks
Open burning will be banned across much of northern British Columbia starting next week, earlier than usual, after officials warned dry conditions could mean wildfire activity this spring. Flames from the Donnie Creek wildfire burn along a ridge top north of Fort St. John, B.C., Sunday, July 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Noah Berger
canada
Poilievre threatens no confidence vote on carbon price, Guilbeault calls him a liar
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses his caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
british columbia
Western Canada: Spring brings warnings of fierce wildfire season ahead
<div>As wildfires rage on in Western Canada, a communications and broadcasting policy expert says the national weather alerting system should account for a wider range of extreme climate-related events. A fallen tree burns at the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire, in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</div>
canada
‘The lost season’: Winter comes to a close as Canada’s warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions. A windsurfer cuts through the waves along Lake Ontario overlooking the City of Toronto skyline on a warm winter day in Mississauga, Ont., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
british columbia
B.C. prepares for what could be a dangerous wildfire season
The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
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The challenge with preparing for wildfires in B.C.
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canada
Night no longer reprieve for wildland firefighting, study shows
The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
canada
Quebec teen drowns while swimming in Gulf of Mexico with high school swim club
A Quebec coroner is asking the province's ski industry to review its training and safety practices after a six-year-old girl died after being dragged by a T-bar lift during a ski lesson in January. A&nbsp;provincial flag flies in Ottawa, Friday July 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
world
Power lines ignited largest wildfire in Texas history, officials say
FILE - A telephone pole burns from the Smokehouse Creek Fire, Feb. 28, 2024, in Canadian, Texas. The utility provider Xcel Energy said Thursday, March 7, 2024 that its facilities appeared have played a role in igniting a massive wildfire in the Texas Panhandle that grew to the largest blaze in state history. (AP Photo/David Erickson, file)
report on business
Governments must change rules around housing to meet building, climate targets: task force
Housing data will be in spotlight Thursday when the Canadian Real Estate Association is expected to release is January home sales figures. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. will also release its latest reading on housing starts in the country the same day. New homes are constructed in Ottawa on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick