Burned area
satellite only113,088ha
Perimeter published by NBAC (NRCan).
- Source
- NBAC (NRCan)
- Date
- 5 May 2023 – 10 Oct 2023
+− cross-check
No official record is matched to this page to compare it with.
CA · Canada · –
Big Lakes County fire, 5 May 2023 Northern Sunrise County, Big Lakes County
Out · last detection 10 Oct 2023, 20:00 UTC
The fire started on 5 May 2023 in Big Lakes County, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 159 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 113,088 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across 2 census subdivisions.
It is the 11th largest in Alberta since 2016 (of 176 with a page). Number 24 in Canada in 2023, of 489.
Use this data
Compare with…
Suggestions: Opportunity No. 17 · 2018Opportunity No. 17 · 2019
Use this data
Fire page data · version 2026-10-24matches the official recordwith caveatssatellite onlymodel
When copying, the sentence is
Tick the figures you want: they make up the lede and the CSV.
Duration by satellite
satellite only159days
5 May 2023 to 10 Oct 2023: first and last day with fire on the page.
- Source
- NBAC (NRCan) · NASA FIRMS · VIIRS
- Date
- last detection: 10 Oct 2023, 20:00 UTC
+− cross-check
Satellites pass a few times a day and cloud or smoke can hide the fire: a lack of detections is not an official extinction. Each country’s emergency service declares a fire contained or out.
Start
satellite only5 May 2023
First day with fire seen by the satellites or the perimeter.
- Source
- NBAC (NRCan) · NASA FIRMS · VIIRS
- Date
- 5 May 2023
+− cross-check
No official record is matched to this page, so the alert time and the cause are not known here.
Hotspots
satellite only12,965
VIIRS detections at 375 m. Most intense hotspot: 679 MW.
- Source
- NASA FIRMS · VIIRS (Suomi NPP + NOAA-20)
- Date
- 5 May 2023 – 10 Oct 2023
+− cross-check
There is no official record to compare with. Each hotspot is a pixel detected in one satellite pass, not a separate fire.
The worst day
satellite only43,341MW
Total radiative power on 6 May 2023; hotspots that day: 1,816.
- Source
- NASA FIRMS · VIIRS (FRP)
- Date
- 6 May 2023
+− cross-check
Fire radiative power (FRP) measures the energy the fire gives off when the satellite passes. Added up by day, it compares intensity, not area.
Danger at the start
model37.7FWI · high
Fire Weather Index (Canadian system) computed by WorldFires for the day the fire started. Consecutive days without rain before: 8.
- Source
- WorldFires calculation (Canadian FWI system)
- Date
- 5 May 2023, local noon
- Model
- ERA5 0,25° (ECMWF · Copernicus C3S) · Open-Meteo.com
+− cross-check
This is an index computed from weather model data, not a measurement of the fire nor an official warning. Danger warnings are issued by each country’s authority. Emergency number and official warnings
Weather during the fire
model29.2°C · 19% RH
High of 29.2 °C and minimum humidity of 19% on 14 May 2023; gusts of 73 km/h on 19 June 2023.
- Source
- weather model at the fire’s grid cell
- Date
- 5 May 2023 – 10 Oct 2023
- Model
- ERA5 0,25° (ECMWF · Copernicus C3S) · Open-Meteo.com
+− cross-check
These are model values for a cell of about 25 km, not from a weather station: they may differ from what was measured on the ground.
Living inside
model≈ 20people
Estimated residents inside the perimeter and 3.4 ha of built-up area (100 m grid, epoch 2025).
- Source
- GHSL R2023A · JRC
- Date
- calculated on 24 October 2026
+− cross-check
This is an estimate on 100 m cells, made from satellite imagery and census data: it does not mean that homes burned or that anyone was harmed. The perimeter also contains land that never burned.
This page’s change log has been kept since 24 October 2026: every night what it publishes is compared and the difference is logged. Anything earlier is reconstructed from each source’s date and marked as reconstructed.
Show
-
· reconstructed weatherWeather and FWI computed from the ERA5 reanalysis
-
· reconstructed GHSLPopulation and built-up area computed
What was saved on 24 October 2026
Every night a snapshot of what the page shows is saved. If anything changes, it appears in the list as a log entry.
- Area
- 113,088 ha
- Dates
- 5 May 2023 – 10 Oct 2023
- Name
- Big Lakes County
- Official record
- —
Versioned permanent link
https://worldfires.org/en/fire/big-lakes-county-2023-05-3?v=2026-10-24A version keeps the area, dates, name and official record; the area as it was logged (changes under 2% are not logged). The map, hotspots and weather always show today’s data.
Citation
A lede of about 60 words figures only, no adjectives
CSV for this fire big-lakes-county-2023-05-3.csv · daily, no individual hotspots
| fecha | focos_viirs | frp_mw | tmax_c | tmin_c | hr_min_pct | viento_max_kmh | racha_max_kmh | precip_mm | fwi | clase_fwi | dentro_del_incendio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-05 | 136 | 13,027 | 25.4 | 12.7 | 19 | 25.4 | 60.1 | 0 | 37.7 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-06 | 1,816 | 43,341 | 18.1 | 8.8 | 27 | 26.1 | 61.6 | 0 | 34.9 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-07 | 763 | 2,082 | 9.6 | 5.3 | 51 | 21.9 | 52.6 | 3.8 | 7 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-08 | 1 | 2 | 15.8 | 2.7 | 45 | 8.9 | 27.4 | 0.2 | 2.3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-09 | 0 | 0 | 19.3 | 4.6 | 36 | 8.3 | 20.5 | 0.4 | 4.2 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-10 | 0 | 0 | 20.6 | 5.2 | 30 | 12 | 20.9 | 0.4 | 11.1 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-11 | 7 | 59 | 19.5 | 4.6 | 40 | 11.7 | 31.3 | 1.9 | 13.9 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-05-12 | 84 | 8,320 | 24 | 6.5 | 24 | 14.1 | 27.4 | 0 | 8.8 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-13 | 1,485 | 31,545 | 26.9 | 9.8 | 18 | 14.8 | 26.3 | 0 | 22.5 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-14 | 728 | 2,989 | 29.2 | 9.7 | 19 | 13.6 | 21.6 | 0 | 23.6 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-15 | 405 | 16,594 | 27.1 | 10.3 | 23 | 22 | 44.6 | 0 | 26.7 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-16 | 1,594 | 17,591 | 18 | 7.3 | 29 | 20.2 | 41.8 | 0 | 26.5 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-17 | 702 | 8,944 | 19.4 | 2.9 | 20 | 11.3 | 31 | 0 | 23.1 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-18 | 1,060 | 22,610 | 20.4 | 3.5 | 23 | 14.5 | 32.4 | 0 | 23.8 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-19 | 1,039 | 14,848 | 23.4 | 6.2 | 33 | 13.7 | 30.6 | 0 | 22.4 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-05-20 | 960 | 4,195 | 18.7 | 7.6 | 50 | 12.1 | 26.6 | 1 | 11.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-05-21 | 116 | 474 | 25.4 | 7.7 | 32 | 10.5 | 21.2 | 2.3 | 14.7 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-05-22 | 0 | 0 | 14.1 | 7.3 | 85 | 24.4 | 54 | 31.4 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-23 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 | 6.5 | 92 | 24.2 | 57.2 | 19.8 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-24 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 | 5.7 | 65 | 18.1 | 31.3 | 1.4 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-25 | 18 | 58 | 17.7 | 5.8 | 45 | 8.9 | 16.2 | 2.8 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-26 | 2 | 3 | 23.2 | 5.8 | 31 | 14.3 | 24.8 | 0 | 0.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-27 | 6 | 13 | 24.2 | 10 | 33 | 14.2 | 29.9 | 0.2 | 5.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-05-28 | 7 | 24 | 19.8 | 10.3 | 35 | 24 | 57.2 | 0 | 18.1 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-05-29 | 35 | 1,055 | 18.7 | 7.6 | 23 | 19.4 | 47.9 | 0 | 18.9 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-05-30 | 30 | 45 | 17.3 | 5.2 | 34 | 10.9 | 40 | 0.2 | 12.2 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-05-31 | 0 | 0 | 16.4 | 7.2 | 52 | 10.1 | 28.8 | 2.3 | 1.5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-01 | 2 | 15 | 18.5 | 6.4 | 28 | 11.2 | 28.1 | 0 | 7.4 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-02 | 18 | 816 | 22.9 | 4.9 | 26 | 14.1 | 26.3 | 0 | 12.8 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-06-03 | 185 | 2,168 | 25.2 | 10.3 | 31 | 20.4 | 52.2 | 0 | 24.4 | alto | 1 |
| 2023-06-04 | 110 | 724 | 25.8 | 11.3 | 32 | 19.4 | 39.6 | 1.7 | 20.1 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-06-05 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 6.2 | 61 | 16 | 33.1 | 15.4 | 0.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-06 | 0 | 0 | 20.2 | 4.3 | 29 | 17.2 | 43.2 | 0 | 0.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-07 | 0 | 0 | 22.1 | 7.6 | 28 | 14.8 | 38.2 | 0 | 7.6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-08 | 3 | 10 | 24.3 | 7.9 | 34 | 15 | 33.1 | 0 | 12.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-06-09 | 86 | 1,054 | 26.6 | 11.5 | 42 | 20 | 45.7 | 0 | 16.9 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-06-10 | 202 | 4,415 | 28.2 | 16.3 | 37 | 19.1 | 46.1 | 2.3 | 19 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-06-11 | 0 | 0 | 23.6 | 13.4 | 42 | 11.4 | 28.1 | 0.6 | 3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-12 | 2 | 3 | 23.3 | 9.5 | 43 | 12.4 | 36.7 | 0.1 | 8 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-13 | 1 | 1 | 19.3 | 10.7 | 56 | 16.6 | 33.5 | 13 | 4.5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-14 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 | 9.3 | 68 | 18.7 | 52.9 | 2.9 | 0.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-15 | 0 | 0 | 18.8 | 7.4 | 44 | 14.9 | 39.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-16 | 0 | 0 | 15.9 | 8.1 | 56 | 22.6 | 59.4 | 5.1 | 2.6 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-17 | 1 | 3 | 16.8 | 7.3 | 32 | 19.7 | 47.9 | 0 | 2.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-18 | 0 | 0 | 13.2 | 5.6 | 56 | 22 | 43.6 | 7.1 | 3.6 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-19 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 9.8 | 47 | 32.9 | 73.4 | 0.7 | 3.3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-20 | 0 | 0 | 16.9 | 6.8 | 34 | 18.2 | 43.6 | 0 | 5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-21 | 13 | 393 | 20.3 | 5 | 32 | 11.4 | 29.2 | 0.4 | 9.9 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-22 | 0 | 0 | 17.7 | 9 | 66 | 12.6 | 29.5 | 8.4 | 0.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-23 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 8 | 32 | 10.2 | 17.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-24 | 17 | 397 | 25.4 | 10 | 39 | 11.9 | 26.6 | 0.6 | 2.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-25 | 0 | 0 | 16.8 | 12.3 | 77 | 13 | 24.1 | 6.6 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-26 | 13 | 12 | 24 | 11 | 48 | 12.1 | 29.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-27 | 6 | 26 | 25.4 | 13 | 36 | 9.7 | 20.2 | 0 | 3.5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-28 | 4 | 11 | 25.1 | 13.6 | 59 | 8.4 | 25.9 | 2.7 | 6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-29 | 12 | 15 | 24.3 | 15.4 | 36 | 17.4 | 44.3 | 1.4 | 2 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-06-30 | 103 | 2,314 | 23.2 | 12.4 | 29 | 20.9 | 51.5 | 0.2 | 13.6 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-07-01 | 436 | 1,412 | 17.1 | 9.4 | 52 | 13.6 | 33.8 | 3.4 | 8.2 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-02 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8.9 | 53 | 17.1 | 46.1 | 8.1 | 0.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-03 | 1 | 6 | 18.3 | 10.9 | 52 | 15.8 | 42.5 | 4.5 | 0.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-04 | 3 | 7 | 20.6 | 6.6 | 44 | 10.1 | 21.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-05 | 8 | 72 | 24.5 | 8.2 | 38 | 10.5 | 27.4 | 1.3 | 4.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-06 | 30 | 251 | 24.2 | 11.7 | 34 | 10.9 | 27 | 0 | 5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-07 | 127 | 641 | 24 | 9 | 33 | 10.5 | 22 | 0 | 9.4 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-08 | 158 | 3,771 | 27 | 8.9 | 36 | 8.3 | 25.6 | 0 | 11.6 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-07-09 | 243 | 2,108 | 28.6 | 14.3 | 41 | 12.3 | 26.6 | 1.6 | 11.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-07-10 | 124 | 299 | 22.4 | 15.5 | 64 | 15.6 | 40.7 | 1.3 | 3.2 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-11 | 1 | 0 | 24.2 | 12.8 | 57 | 11.3 | 22.3 | 3.3 | 2.3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-12 | 4 | 3 | 23.9 | 11.8 | 61 | 8.4 | 25.6 | 4.5 | 0.8 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-13 | 1 | 1 | 23.3 | 13.5 | 44 | 12.1 | 33.1 | 0 | 1.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-14 | 0 | 0 | 20.7 | 12 | 49 | 10.9 | 32 | 0.3 | 4.3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-15 | 0 | 0 | 23.8 | 10 | 44 | 9.2 | 18.7 | 0.9 | 4.8 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-16 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 | 12.2 | 55 | 10.7 | 25.2 | 4.6 | 5.2 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-17 | 0 | 0 | 20.1 | 13.3 | 67 | 12 | 26.6 | 19.5 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-18 | 0 | 0 | 19.4 | 10 | 54 | 14.1 | 35.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-19 | 0 | 0 | 21.8 | 11.2 | 57 | 11.1 | 31.3 | 1.1 | 1.8 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-20 | 0 | 0 | 24.7 | 10.4 | 45 | 6.6 | 17.6 | 0.2 | 1.8 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-21 | 0 | 0 | 26.9 | 9.6 | 38 | 10 | 18.7 | 0 | 6.6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-22 | 3 | 4 | 26.7 | 13.6 | 44 | 9.4 | 22.7 | 2.2 | 6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-23 | 1 | 1 | 23.2 | 12.1 | 47 | 9.7 | 19.1 | 10.2 | 0.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-24 | 0 | 0 | 21.7 | 14.3 | 69 | 9.4 | 36.7 | 29.1 | 0.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-25 | 0 | 0 | 15.5 | 9.3 | 85 | 21.5 | 51.1 | 24.2 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-26 | 0 | 0 | 16.9 | 9.4 | 68 | 14.5 | 29.2 | 6.6 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-27 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 9.7 | 46 | 14.9 | 38.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-28 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6.7 | 44 | 10.8 | 26.3 | 0.1 | 1.5 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-29 | 0 | 0 | 22.4 | 7.3 | 42 | 12.6 | 32.8 | 0 | 5.5 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-30 | 0 | 0 | 24.5 | 10.7 | 49 | 11.8 | 21.6 | 10.3 | 5.9 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-07-31 | 0 | 0 | 18.2 | 12.4 | 73 | 17 | 43.2 | 14.3 | 0.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-01 | 0 | 0 | 19.1 | 10.2 | 59 | 11.5 | 34.2 | 4 | 0.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-02 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 9.8 | 55 | 7.4 | 18.7 | 1.6 | 0.2 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-03 | 0 | 0 | 16.8 | 11.6 | 68 | 16.1 | 40.7 | 14.8 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-04 | 0 | 0 | 20.9 | 8.3 | 57 | 11.3 | 34.9 | 2.1 | 0.3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-05 | 0 | 0 | 23.3 | 7.5 | 43 | 7.7 | 17.3 | 0 | 0.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-06 | 0 | 0 | 24.8 | 9.4 | 43 | 8.8 | 15.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-07 | 0 | 0 | 21.6 | 11.2 | 59 | 14.4 | 30.2 | 1 | 2.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-08 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 11.9 | 78 | 13.6 | 33.1 | 12.7 | 0.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-09 | 0 | 0 | 16.4 | 13.4 | 92 | 12.5 | 25.9 | 12.6 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-10 | 0 | 0 | 15.9 | 12.2 | 88 | 19.7 | 37.4 | 19.3 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-11 | 0 | 0 | 19.9 | 11.5 | 58 | 13 | 38.2 | 0.8 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-12 | 0 | 0 | 21.4 | 10.7 | 46 | 16.1 | 40 | 0.3 | 0.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-13 | 0 | 0 | 26.8 | 11.8 | 43 | 20.3 | 47.2 | 0 | 6.2 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-14 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 11.6 | 46 | 18.7 | 37.4 | 0.1 | 3.8 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-15 | 0 | 0 | 21.5 | 10.2 | 60 | 18.7 | 54.7 | 3.1 | 7.7 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-16 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 45 | 14.1 | 37.4 | 0 | 0.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-17 | 0 | 0 | 22.6 | 13.4 | 40 | 16 | 40.3 | 0 | 6.7 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-18 | 0 | 0 | 12.4 | 7 | 68 | 15.9 | 37.4 | 3.5 | 1.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-19 | 0 | 0 | 18.1 | 6.5 | 46 | 12.1 | 28.4 | 0 | 0.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-20 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5.8 | 37 | 13 | 24.8 | 0 | 4.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-21 | 0 | 0 | 21.5 | 6.6 | 37 | 14.7 | 36.7 | 0 | 11.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-08-22 | 0 | 0 | 19.1 | 8.3 | 63 | 12.1 | 30.2 | 0.4 | 8.3 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-23 | 0 | 0 | 14.3 | 11.7 | 96 | 22 | 38.5 | 41.6 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-24 | 0 | 0 | 18.2 | 10.7 | 59 | 19.3 | 40 | 4.8 | 0 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-25 | 0 | 0 | 22.6 | 8.4 | 49 | 12.2 | 25.6 | 0 | 0.3 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-26 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 | 9.8 | 54 | 14.1 | 35.6 | 0 | 2.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-27 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 11.4 | 55 | 12.2 | 28.8 | 0 | 3.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-28 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 11.7 | 50 | 11.5 | 27 | 0 | 5.6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-29 | 0 | 0 | 27.4 | 11.1 | 43 | 10.1 | 17.6 | 0 | 5.8 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-30 | 0 | 0 | 23.4 | 11.1 | 54 | 10.1 | 23 | 0 | 6.4 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-08-31 | 0 | 0 | 20.9 | 12.3 | 57 | 14 | 35.6 | 0.1 | 9.7 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-01 | 0 | 0 | 23.9 | 8.3 | 35 | 24.6 | 57.6 | 0 | 15.1 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-02 | 0 | 0 | 18.4 | 10.5 | 43 | 22.3 | 45.7 | 0.2 | 10.4 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-03 | 0 | 0 | 15.2 | 7.9 | 51 | 14.7 | 35.3 | 1.6 | 5.9 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-04 | 0 | 0 | 12.6 | 3.2 | 43 | 13.6 | 28.8 | 0 | 3.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-05 | 0 | 0 | 10.4 | 1.8 | 74 | 14.5 | 30.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-06 | 0 | 0 | 13.9 | 3.7 | 52 | 12.6 | 34.6 | 0.3 | 0.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-07 | 0 | 0 | 17.4 | 3.4 | 45 | 14.8 | 36.7 | 0 | 3.1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-08 | 0 | 0 | 18.5 | 3.2 | 38 | 11.2 | 28.8 | 0 | 6.6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-09 | 0 | 0 | 20.4 | 1.2 | 34 | 12.9 | 20.2 | 0 | 8.1 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-10 | 0 | 0 | 24.1 | 5.6 | 34 | 16 | 30.6 | 0 | 10.7 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-11 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 | 8.2 | 39 | 13.8 | 24.8 | 0 | 11 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-12 | 0 | 0 | 19.7 | 8.1 | 46 | 13.7 | 31 | 0 | 11.7 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-13 | 0 | 0 | 15.8 | 8.6 | 47 | 26.5 | 66.2 | 2.3 | 20.5 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-14 | 0 | 0 | 17.3 | 4.2 | 34 | 15.5 | 30.2 | 0 | 3.9 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-15 | 0 | 0 | 25.2 | 5.1 | 27 | 13.8 | 32.8 | 0 | 11.4 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-16 | 0 | 0 | 19.3 | 7.3 | 35 | 13.6 | 28.4 | 0 | 12.6 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-17 | 0 | 0 | 18.3 | 6.7 | 39 | 14.9 | 36.7 | 0.3 | 14.5 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-18 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 | 7.9 | 41 | 22.6 | 57.6 | 1 | 12.4 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-19 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 | 3.7 | 43 | 17.6 | 39.2 | 0 | 12.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-20 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2.3 | 45 | 11.7 | 17.3 | 0.3 | 8 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-21 | 0 | 0 | 18.2 | 2.1 | 36 | 17.2 | 42.1 | 0 | 17.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-22 | 0 | 0 | 22.5 | 5.5 | 29 | 16.9 | 32.8 | 0 | 16.6 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-09-23 | 0 | 0 | 20.4 | 6.4 | 41 | 14.7 | 26.6 | 3.8 | 11.1 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-24 | 0 | 0 | 14.1 | 5.1 | 46 | 16.4 | 39.2 | 0 | 2.7 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-25 | 0 | 0 | 18.3 | 1 | 42 | 22.6 | 51.8 | 0.5 | 7.9 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-26 | 0 | 0 | 17.3 | 7.5 | 45 | 16.1 | 32 | 0.2 | 6.6 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-27 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6.8 | 56 | 14.1 | 38.5 | 0 | 9.3 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-28 | 0 | 0 | 12.3 | 3.8 | 69 | 10.6 | 25.9 | 4.4 | 6.5 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-29 | 0 | 0 | 8.3 | 5 | 72 | 8.1 | 18.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-09-30 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 63 | 14.7 | 25.6 | 0.9 | 1 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-10-01 | 2 | 7 | 14.5 | 1.6 | 36 | 14.8 | 32.8 | 0 | 3.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-10-02 | 0 | 0 | 12.8 | 4.9 | 52 | 15 | 37.1 | 1.2 | 3.4 | muy_bajo | 1 |
| 2023-10-03 | 0 | 0 | 13.3 | 0.7 | 48 | 18.1 | 36.7 | 0.3 | 5.9 | bajo | 1 |
| 2023-10-04 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 | 2.4 | 35 | 25 | 56.2 | 0.6 | 11.7 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-05 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 | -2.4 | 27 | 16.9 | 40.3 | 0 | 11.9 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-06 | 0 | 0 | 19.3 | 0.6 | 37 | 21 | 49 | 0 | 14.8 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-07 | 0 | 0 | 21.4 | 7.2 | 34 | 15 | 27.7 | 0 | 12.5 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-08 | 1 | 1 | 23.5 | 6.7 | 25 | 16.2 | 29.2 | 0 | 16.4 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-09 | 22 | 54 | 23.5 | 7 | 31 | 14 | 27.4 | 0 | 18.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-10 | 28 | 49 | 16.3 | 6.1 | 43 | 10.8 | 28.4 | 0 | 13.3 | moderado | 1 |
| 2023-10-11 | 0 | 0 | 13.5 | 6.8 | 70 | 10.5 | 29.9 | 3.8 | 3 | muy_bajo | 0 |
It is generated in your browser from this page’s data: one file per fire, aggregated by day and without individual hotspots.
Live widget for your story
It updates itself while the fire is still active and links to this page. Free, with the attribution shown at the bottom.
Sources for this page: NBAC (NRCan), NASA FIRMS (VIIRS), ERA5 (ECMWF/Copernicus C3S) · Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), GHSL (JRC). Open-Meteo.com · How we build fire pages: methodology
- Burnt area
- 113,088ha
- official perimeter (CWFIS)
- Duration
- 159days
- 5 May 2023 – 10 Oct 2023
- Census subdivisions hit
- 2
- municipalities
- Started on
- 5 May
- 2023
- Heat detections
- 12,965
- in a single hotspot: 679 MW
- Danger at start
- 38
- High · FWI index
- Average daily power
- 3.7GW
- detected power per day, on average
Where it burned
HOTSPOTS BY DAY
5 May10 Oct
10 Oct 2023
How it evolved, day by day
6 May
19 May
4 Jun
29 Jun
12 Jul
Fire radiative power detected each day, in megawatts, and number of hotspots. The magenta bar marks the peak day.
The weather it burned in
29°high
73km/h · peak gust
18%lowest humidity
It had gone 8 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 3.8 mm on 11 Oct.
This area had burned before
No earlier perimeters overlap this fire since 2016, when the satellite record begins.
How big is it?
London boundary: geoBoundaries · Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Paris boundary: geoBoundaries · Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN-F) (Etalab Open License 2.0).
Madrid boundary: geoBoundaries · Open Data ESRI, IGN Central Registry of Cartography Area (CC BY 4.0).
Berlin boundary: geoBoundaries · Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (dl-de/by-2-0).
This compares size, not location: both shapes are at the same scale, north up, centred on each other.
What happened to each census subdivision
-
78,458 ha reached on 5 May3.6 %
-
Big Lakes County where it started34,102 ha reached on 5 May2.3 %
Burnt area inside each census subdivision, from crossing the official perimeter with administrative boundaries. The distance runs from the point marking the centre of each area to the nearest fire: staying a kilometre away does not mean it reached the houses.
People and buildings inside the perimeter
GHSL 2025Built-up area3.4 ha
Residents≈ 20
Inside the perimeter there were about 3.4 hectares of built-up land and about 20 residents (GHSL 2025, satellite-based estimate).
This is an estimate on 100 m cells, made from satellite imagery and census data: it does not mean that homes burned or that anyone was harmed. The perimeter also contains land that never burned. The GHSL 2025 epoch is a projection made from 2020 and earlier data.
Source: Global Human Settlement Layer (GHS-BUILT-S and GHS-POP R2023A), European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), © European Union, CC BY 4.0. Sum inside the perimeter computed by WorldFires. human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu
The weather day by day
ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at the fire location, the standard reference for past weather, and the Canadian Fire Weather Index (the same system Copernicus uses), computed by WorldFires from that data. Days after the fire run until the first rain.
Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (ERA5)
Started with Strong wind: 15 % of the area in Canada
| Day | High | Min. humidity | Peak gust | Rain | Danger (FWI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May | 25.4 °C | 19 % | 60 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 38 |
| 6 May | 18.1 °C | 27 % | 62 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 35 |
| 7 May | 9.6 °C | 51 % | 53 km/h | 3.8 mm | Low 7 |
| 8 May | 15.8 °C | 45 % | 27 km/h | 0.2 mm | Very low 2 |
| 9 May | 19.3 °C | 36 % | 20 km/h | 0.4 mm | Very low 4 |
| 10 May | 20.6 °C | 30 % | 21 km/h | 0.4 mm | Low 11 |
| 11 May | 19.5 °C | 40 % | 31 km/h | 1.9 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 12 May | 24.0 °C | 24 % | 27 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 9 |
| 13 May | 26.9 °C | 18 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 14 May | 29.2 °C | 19 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 24 |
| 15 May | 27.1 °C | 23 % | 45 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 27 |
| 16 May | 18.0 °C | 29 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 26 |
| 17 May | 19.4 °C | 20 % | 31 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 23 |
| 18 May | 20.4 °C | 23 % | 32 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 24 |
| 19 May | 23.4 °C | 33 % | 31 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 20 May | 18.7 °C | 50 % | 27 km/h | 1.0 mm | Moderate 11 |
| 21 May | 25.4 °C | 32 % | 21 km/h | 2.3 mm | Moderate 15 |
| 22 May | 14.1 °C | 85 % | 54 km/h | 31.4 mm | Very low 0 |
| 23 May | 9.8 °C | 92 % | 57 km/h | 19.8 mm | Very low 0 |
| 24 May | 14.2 °C | 65 % | 31 km/h | 1.4 mm | Very low 0 |
| 25 May | 17.7 °C | 45 % | 16 km/h | 2.8 mm | Very low 0 |
| 26 May | 23.2 °C | 31 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 1 |
| 27 May | 24.2 °C | 33 % | 30 km/h | 0.2 mm | Very low 5 |
| 28 May | 19.8 °C | 35 % | 57 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 18 |
| 29 May | 18.7 °C | 23 % | 48 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 30 May | 17.3 °C | 34 % | 40 km/h | 0.2 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 31 May | 16.4 °C | 52 % | 29 km/h | 2.3 mm | Very low 2 |
| 1 Jun | 18.5 °C | 28 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 7 |
| 2 Jun | 22.9 °C | 26 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 3 Jun | 25.2 °C | 31 % | 52 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 24 |
| 4 Jun | 25.8 °C | 32 % | 40 km/h | 1.7 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 5 Jun | 11.3 °C | 61 % | 33 km/h | 15.4 mm | Very low 0 |
| 6 Jun | 20.2 °C | 29 % | 43 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 1 |
| 7 Jun | 22.1 °C | 28 % | 38 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 8 |
| 8 Jun | 24.3 °C | 34 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 9 Jun | 26.6 °C | 42 % | 46 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 10 Jun | 28.2 °C | 37 % | 46 km/h | 2.3 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 11 Jun | 23.6 °C | 42 % | 28 km/h | 0.6 mm | Very low 3 |
| 12 Jun | 23.3 °C | 43 % | 37 km/h | 0.1 mm | Low 8 |
| 13 Jun | 19.3 °C | 56 % | 34 km/h | 13.0 mm | Very low 4 |
| 14 Jun | 14.5 °C | 68 % | 53 km/h | 2.9 mm | Very low 0 |
| 15 Jun | 18.8 °C | 44 % | 40 km/h | 0.7 mm | Very low 1 |
| 16 Jun | 15.9 °C | 56 % | 59 km/h | 5.1 mm | Very low 3 |
| 17 Jun | 16.8 °C | 32 % | 48 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 2 |
| 18 Jun | 13.2 °C | 56 % | 44 km/h | 7.1 mm | Very low 4 |
| 19 Jun | 15.0 °C | 47 % | 73 km/h | 0.7 mm | Very low 3 |
| 20 Jun | 16.9 °C | 34 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 5 |
| 21 Jun | 20.3 °C | 32 % | 29 km/h | 0.4 mm | Low 10 |
| 22 Jun | 17.7 °C | 66 % | 30 km/h | 8.4 mm | Very low 1 |
| 23 Jun | 24.2 °C | 32 % | 17 km/h | 0.1 mm | Very low 0 |
| 24 Jun | 25.4 °C | 39 % | 27 km/h | 0.6 mm | Very low 3 |
| 25 Jun | 16.8 °C | 77 % | 24 km/h | 6.6 mm | Very low 0 |
| 26 Jun | 24.0 °C | 48 % | 30 km/h | 0.5 mm | Very low 1 |
| 27 Jun | 25.4 °C | 36 % | 20 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 4 |
| 28 Jun | 25.1 °C | 59 % | 26 km/h | 2.7 mm | Low 6 |
| 29 Jun | 24.3 °C | 36 % | 44 km/h | 1.4 mm | Very low 2 |
| 30 Jun | 23.2 °C | 29 % | 52 km/h | 0.2 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 1 Jul | 17.1 °C | 52 % | 34 km/h | 3.4 mm | Low 8 |
| 2 Jul | 16.0 °C | 53 % | 46 km/h | 8.1 mm | Very low 0 |
| 3 Jul | 18.3 °C | 52 % | 42 km/h | 4.5 mm | Very low 0 |
| 4 Jul | 20.6 °C | 44 % | 22 km/h | 0.3 mm | Very low 1 |
| 5 Jul | 24.5 °C | 38 % | 27 km/h | 1.3 mm | Very low 5 |
| 6 Jul | 24.2 °C | 34 % | 27 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 5 |
| 7 Jul | 24.0 °C | 33 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 9 |
| 8 Jul | 27.0 °C | 36 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 9 Jul | 28.6 °C | 41 % | 27 km/h | 1.6 mm | Moderate 11 |
| 10 Jul | 22.4 °C | 64 % | 41 km/h | 1.3 mm | Very low 3 |
| 11 Jul | 24.2 °C | 57 % | 22 km/h | 3.3 mm | Very low 2 |
| 12 Jul | 23.9 °C | 61 % | 26 km/h | 4.5 mm | Very low 1 |
| 13 Jul | 23.3 °C | 44 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 2 |
| 14 Jul | 20.7 °C | 49 % | 32 km/h | 0.3 mm | Very low 4 |
| 15 Jul | 23.8 °C | 44 % | 19 km/h | 0.9 mm | Very low 5 |
| 16 Jul | 23.5 °C | 55 % | 25 km/h | 4.6 mm | Low 5 |
| 17 Jul | 20.1 °C | 67 % | 27 km/h | 19.5 mm | Very low 0 |
| 18 Jul | 19.4 °C | 54 % | 35 km/h | 0.4 mm | Very low 0 |
| 19 Jul | 21.8 °C | 57 % | 31 km/h | 1.1 mm | Very low 2 |
| 20 Jul | 24.7 °C | 45 % | 18 km/h | 0.2 mm | Very low 2 |
| 21 Jul | 26.9 °C | 38 % | 19 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 7 |
| 22 Jul | 26.7 °C | 44 % | 23 km/h | 2.2 mm | Low 6 |
| 23 Jul | 23.2 °C | 47 % | 19 km/h | 10.2 mm | Very low 0 |
| 24 Jul | 21.7 °C | 69 % | 37 km/h | 29.1 mm | Very low 1 |
| 25 Jul | 15.5 °C | 85 % | 51 km/h | 24.2 mm | Very low 0 |
| 26 Jul | 16.9 °C | 68 % | 29 km/h | 6.6 mm | Very low 0 |
| 27 Jul | 18.0 °C | 46 % | 38 km/h | 0.6 mm | Very low 0 |
| 28 Jul | 20.0 °C | 44 % | 26 km/h | 0.1 mm | Very low 2 |
| 29 Jul | 22.4 °C | 42 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 6 |
| 30 Jul | 24.5 °C | 49 % | 22 km/h | 10.3 mm | Low 6 |
| 31 Jul | 18.2 °C | 73 % | 43 km/h | 14.3 mm | Very low 0 |
| 1 Aug | 19.1 °C | 59 % | 34 km/h | 4.0 mm | Very low 0 |
| 2 Aug | 21.0 °C | 55 % | 19 km/h | 1.6 mm | Very low 0 |
| 3 Aug | 16.8 °C | 68 % | 41 km/h | 14.8 mm | Very low 0 |
| 4 Aug | 20.9 °C | 57 % | 35 km/h | 2.1 mm | Very low 0 |
| 5 Aug | 23.3 °C | 43 % | 17 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 0 |
| 6 Aug | 24.8 °C | 43 % | 16 km/h | 0.6 mm | Very low 2 |
| 7 Aug | 21.6 °C | 59 % | 30 km/h | 1.0 mm | Very low 2 |
| 8 Aug | 17.0 °C | 78 % | 33 km/h | 12.7 mm | Very low 1 |
| 9 Aug | 16.4 °C | 92 % | 26 km/h | 12.6 mm | Very low 0 |
| 10 Aug | 15.9 °C | 88 % | 37 km/h | 19.3 mm | Very low 0 |
| 11 Aug | 19.9 °C | 58 % | 38 km/h | 0.8 mm | Very low 0 |
| 12 Aug | 21.4 °C | 46 % | 40 km/h | 0.3 mm | Very low 1 |
| 13 Aug | 26.8 °C | 43 % | 47 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 6 |
| 14 Aug | 22.0 °C | 46 % | 37 km/h | 0.1 mm | Very low 4 |
| 15 Aug | 21.5 °C | 60 % | 55 km/h | 3.1 mm | Low 8 |
| 16 Aug | 22.0 °C | 45 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 1 |
| 17 Aug | 22.6 °C | 40 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 7 |
| 18 Aug | 12.4 °C | 68 % | 37 km/h | 3.5 mm | Very low 2 |
| 19 Aug | 18.1 °C | 46 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 1 |
| 20 Aug | 22.0 °C | 37 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 5 |
| 21 Aug | 21.5 °C | 37 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 11 |
| 22 Aug | 19.1 °C | 63 % | 30 km/h | 0.4 mm | Low 8 |
| 23 Aug | 14.3 °C | 96 % | 38 km/h | 41.6 mm | Very low 0 |
| 24 Aug | 18.2 °C | 59 % | 40 km/h | 4.8 mm | Very low 0 |
| 25 Aug | 22.6 °C | 49 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 0 |
| 26 Aug | 23.5 °C | 54 % | 36 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 2 |
| 27 Aug | 24.2 °C | 55 % | 29 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 3 |
| 28 Aug | 25.0 °C | 50 % | 27 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 6 |
| 29 Aug | 27.4 °C | 43 % | 18 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 6 |
| 30 Aug | 23.4 °C | 54 % | 23 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 6 |
| 31 Aug | 20.9 °C | 57 % | 36 km/h | 0.1 mm | Low 10 |
| 1 Sept | 23.9 °C | 35 % | 58 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 15 |
| 2 Sept | 18.4 °C | 43 % | 46 km/h | 0.2 mm | Low 10 |
| 3 Sept | 15.2 °C | 51 % | 35 km/h | 1.6 mm | Low 6 |
| 4 Sept | 12.6 °C | 43 % | 29 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 4 |
| 5 Sept | 10.4 °C | 74 % | 30 km/h | 3.8 mm | Low 5 |
| 6 Sept | 13.9 °C | 52 % | 35 km/h | 0.3 mm | Very low 1 |
| 7 Sept | 17.4 °C | 45 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 3 |
| 8 Sept | 18.5 °C | 38 % | 29 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 7 |
| 9 Sept | 20.4 °C | 34 % | 20 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 8 |
| 10 Sept | 24.1 °C | 34 % | 31 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 11 |
| 11 Sept | 23.5 °C | 39 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 11 |
| 12 Sept | 19.7 °C | 46 % | 31 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 13 Sept | 15.8 °C | 47 % | 66 km/h | 2.3 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 14 Sept | 17.3 °C | 34 % | 30 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 4 |
| 15 Sept | 25.2 °C | 27 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 11 |
| 16 Sept | 19.3 °C | 35 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 17 Sept | 18.3 °C | 39 % | 37 km/h | 0.3 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 18 Sept | 14.5 °C | 41 % | 58 km/h | 1.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 19 Sept | 14.2 °C | 43 % | 39 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 20 Sept | 15.0 °C | 45 % | 17 km/h | 0.3 mm | Low 8 |
| 21 Sept | 18.2 °C | 36 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 22 Sept | 22.5 °C | 29 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 23 Sept | 20.4 °C | 41 % | 27 km/h | 3.8 mm | Low 11 |
| 24 Sept | 14.1 °C | 46 % | 39 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 3 |
| 25 Sept | 18.3 °C | 42 % | 52 km/h | 0.5 mm | Low 8 |
| 26 Sept | 17.3 °C | 45 % | 32 km/h | 0.2 mm | Low 7 |
| 27 Sept | 14.0 °C | 56 % | 38 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 9 |
| 28 Sept | 12.3 °C | 69 % | 26 km/h | 4.4 mm | Low 6 |
| 29 Sept | 8.3 °C | 72 % | 18 km/h | 0.7 mm | Very low 0 |
| 30 Sept | 12.0 °C | 63 % | 26 km/h | 0.9 mm | Very low 1 |
| 1 Oct | 14.5 °C | 36 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very low 3 |
| 2 Oct | 12.8 °C | 52 % | 37 km/h | 1.2 mm | Very low 3 |
| 3 Oct | 13.3 °C | 48 % | 37 km/h | 0.3 mm | Low 6 |
| 4 Oct | 9.8 °C | 35 % | 56 km/h | 0.6 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 5 Oct | 4.6 °C | 27 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 6 Oct | 19.3 °C | 37 % | 49 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 15 |
| 7 Oct | 21.4 °C | 34 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 8 Oct | 23.5 °C | 25 % | 29 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 9 Oct | 23.5 °C | 31 % | 27 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 18 |
| 10 Oct | 16.3 °C | 43 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 11 Oct after | 13.5 °C | 70 % | 30 km/h | 3.8 mm | Very low 3 |
Its twins: fires that started in the same weather
It started with an FWI of 37.7, a minimum humidity of 19% and 8 days without rain. Fires in the area that started in weather like this since 2016: 5.
FWI at the start
37.7
Minimum humidity
19 %
Days without rain
8
this fire
chosen twins
rest of the area
Almost identicalSimilar
Outlines of the closest twins
This fire · Big Lakes County fire, 5 May 2023
113,088 ha
159 days
FWI 37.7
Min. humidity 19 %
Opportunity No. 17 fire, May 2018
4,640 ha
27 days
FWI 37.0
Min. humidity 19 %
236 km away, in 2018
First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 1.7 mm on 22 Jun.
Opportunity No. 17 fire, May 2019
222,869 ha
65 days
FWI 36.4
Min. humidity 22 %
133 km away, in 2019
First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 22.1 mm on 24 Jul.
Northern Lights County fire, May 2019
36,519 ha
40 days
FWI 29.8
Min. humidity 15 %
152 km away, in 2019
First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 6.1 mm on 20 Jun.
Northern Lights County fire, May 2018
2,561 ha
43 days
FWI 47.1
Min. humidity 16 %
150 km away, in 2018
First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 2.7 mm on 13 Jul.
Grande Prairie County No. 1 fire, May 2024
1,237 ha
3 days
FWI 46.8
Min. humidity 12 %
135 km away, in 2024
First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 4.9 mm on 15 May.
What happened to them
Fires in the area that started in similar weather: 5. With fewer than 15 we give no figures: they would be more noise than signal.
This is a bank of analogues: it shows what usually happens, not what will happen. With fewer than 15 twins we give no figures. How we calculate it
How it ended
3.8 mmfirst rain
11 Octthe day after it ended
73km/h · max. gust
It was considered over on 10 Oct, and on 11 Oct 3.8 mm fell. We do not know whether the rain or the firefighters put it out.
Weather on this page: Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (ERA5)
How a twin is chosen
- Same area: fires that have already ended, less than 250 km from this one, since 2016.
- Same start: we compare the FWI on the first day, the minimum humidity that day and the run of days without rain before it. The slider sets how much they may differ.
- Only pages with final weather data (ERA5 reanalysis) calculated in the same way as this fire’s; agricultural and grass burns and pages with data under review are left out.
- Fires burning at the same time as this one (a week before or after) are left out: they share the same spell of weather and do not count as a precedent.
- They are sorted by similarity, and the outlines of the first five are drawn.
Before and after, from space
Drag the line to compare the same ground before the fire and after it.
↔
Before · 28 Apr 2023
After · 17 Oct 2023
Sentinel-2 did not pass over on that day. Try another date, or use false colour, which is daily.
If the day is cloudy, change the date: each satellite passes once a day. In false colour the burnt ground looks brown or red.
The smoke
CAMS · CopernicusOn 14 May 2023 the air beside the fire reached 334 µg/m³ of PM2.5. That day averaged 170: 11 times the WHO daily guideline (15).
PM2.5 peak334 µg/m³
Days over the guideline81 days
PM10479 µg/m³
Optical depth5.33
WHO 15
3 May5 Jun8 Jul10 Aug12 Sept
Good
Fair
Moderate
Poor
Very poor
Extremely poor
Particles from the Copernicus CAMS model at the centre of the perimeter; these are not measurements in each town. The pale bar is the worst hour, the solid one the daily average.
Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)
Detections table · 12,965Every satellite heat detection, one by one, with time, satellite, power and coordinates.
⬇ Download CSV
Times in UTC. Each detection is a 375 m pixel: a large fire yields hundreds per pass.
| Date and time | Satellite | FRP (MW) | Lat | Lon |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
- How long did the Big Lakes County fire last?
- It burned between 5 May 2023 and 10 October 2023: 159 days, according to the dates recorded by Canada’s CWFIS and the heat detections seen by satellite.
- How much area did it burn?
- The official perimeter mapped by Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) is 113,088 hectares (1,130.9 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
- Which census subdivisions burned?
- The fire entered 2 census subdivisions: Northern Sunrise County (78,458 ha, 3.6 %); Big Lakes County (34,102 ha, 2.3 %).
- What was the weather like?
- During the fire the temperature reached 29.2 °C, humidity dropped to 18 % and gusts hit 73 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 38, class High.
- Where does this data come from?
- From the official burnt perimeter of Canada’s CWFIS (NBAC, Natural Resources Canada) or, for the current season and until NBAC publishes it, the one rebuilt by GWIS (Copernicus); from NASA FIRMS VIIRS hotspots; and from the administrative boundaries of Canada. It is not an official report.
Where to verify it
A satellite detection is not an official report. Final figures and the fire’s status are published by each country’s emergency service.
Emergency number: 911 · Emergency number and official warnings
- CIFFC · Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre ↗
- CWFIS · Canadian Wildland Fire Information System ↗
Satellite cross-check
History of this page Changes in area, dates, name, official record or merged pages, compared every night since 24 October 2026.
No changes since 24 October 2026.
RSS Changes to this page With cross-checks and a citable version
Does something look wrong on this page?
This page is built from satellite data and official records, and it sometimes gets things wrong: the wrong dates, the wrong town, two fires merged into one, or something that was not a wildfire at all. If you know this fire first-hand (you live nearby, saw it, fought it or reported on it), tell us what really happened and we will check it.
Report an error
How we know this
- Perimeter: NBAC (Natural Resources Canada), official.
- Dates from the perimeter: the VIIRS detections inside it did not change them. 12,965 Suomi-NPP VIIRS detections on those dates.
- We have not matched this page with any official record.
- Weather: Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis at the fire location, in cells of about 25 km.
- Built-up area and population come from the JRC Global Human Settlement Layer (epoch 2025, 100 m cells), summed inside the perimeter: an estimate of what was there, not a damage count.
Where this data comes from
The perimeter is official: it comes from the National Burned Area Composite (NBAC) of the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS), Natural Resources Canada, which maps it on satellite imagery and publishes it under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Until NBAC publishes the current season, this year’s fires carry the perimeter rebuilt from heat detections by GWIS (Copernicus, CC BY 4.0), which is approximate. Heat detections come from the VIIRS sensors aboard Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20, distributed by NASA FIRMS at 375 m resolution. Census subdivision boundaries come from geoBoundaries ADM3 (Open Data Commons Open Database License 1.0). The area per census subdivision is computed by WorldFires by crossing the perimeter with those boundaries, so it may differ slightly from official figures.