Canadian Wildfires – 2023

As of 23 August, Canada has more than 1,000 active wildfires, with almost two-thirds considered not under control. As of this writing, nearly 25 million acres have been burned, making it the most damaging wildfire season recorded.

Alberta – As of May 2023, Alberta was the most affected province by wildfires. While the cause of these fires is mostly unknown, the province declared a state of emergency on 6 May. It ended on 3 June. Almost 600 fires were reported as of the beginning of June. Nearly 30,000 Albertans were evacuated by the beginning of May, and more than 300 Canadian Armed Forces members were called upon to assist.

British Columbia – The unexpected lack of rain in May and June led to conditions ideal for wildfires. Other factors are lightning and climate change. As of July, the province reported almost 400 active fires. BC’s premier declared a state of emergency on 18 August when the wildfire in McDougall Creek spread across more than 6,800 hectares. To date, at least 35,000 people were under an evacuation order, with another 30,000 under evacuation alert.

NWT – The Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency on 14 Aug. Yellowknife, Canada’s most northern city, began evacuating its 20,000 residents starting on 16 Aug. The Northwest Territories have limited infrastructure, with one road out of the city leading to the province of Alberta.

Map of the affected area

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Power Outages