| 2024 Canadian wildfires | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Fires advancing near Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada - May 12, 2024 | |
| Date(s) | February 2024-present |
| Location | British Columbia Alberta |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 5,231[1] (as of September 11, 2024) |
| Total area | 5.338 million ha (13.19 million acres)[1] (as of September 11, 2024) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1 firefighter 1 helicopter pilot |
| Evacuated | 50,000+ |
| Structures destroyed | 396 |
| Map | |
 Perimeters of 2024 Canadian wildfires - season to date (map data) | |
| Season | |
← 2023 | |
The 2024 wildfires in Canada began as an extension of the record-setting 2023 wildfires. The country experienced an unusually long fire season in 2023 that had extended into the autumn; these fires smouldered through the winter and about 150 re-ignited as early as February 2024.[2][3] By early May, large wildfires had broken out in Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba.[4][5] Soon after, there were also significant fires in Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The 2024 fires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in communities throughout the country, including over 7,000 from Labrador City (the largest-ever evacuation in Newfoundland and Labrador's history) and over 25,000 in Jasper, Alberta. The Jasper wildfire destroyed one-third of the town's structures and was one of the most expensive natural disasters in Canadian history. Smoke from the fires reduced air quality through the United States and Canada and reached as far as Mexico and Europe. There have been two fatalities reported related to the fires: a firefighter killed by a falling tree in Alberta, and a helicopter pilot in the Northwest Territories who crashed while assisting with wildfire management.
The 2024 season is poised to have the second-highest carbon emissions since the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service measurements began in 2003, behind only the historically destructive 2023 season.[6] By total area burned—over 5.3 million hectares (13 million acres) as of September 12—it was one of the six worst years in the preceding 50.[7] Approximately 70% of the land burned has been in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.[8]
- ^ a b "National Wildland Fire Situation Report". Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ Jones, Matthew W.; et al. (2024-08-14). "State of Wildfires 2023–2024". Earth System Science Data. 16 (8). Copernicus GmbH: 3601–3685. doi:10.5194/essd-16-3601-2024. hdl:10871/137179. ISSN 1866-3516.
- ^ Hillary Andrews. "What are 'zombie fires'?". Fox Weather. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "Evacuation orders issued as wildfire grows near Canada's Alberta oil patch". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- ^ "Thousands told to evacuate due to British Columbia, Canada wildfire". BBC News. 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
a017was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Williams, Nia (2024-09-12). "Canada's wildfire season ranks among worst but less severe than feared". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ Jordan, Jordan (2024-09-25). "2024 wildfire season is on track to be second largest in last two decades". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-09-25.