Skip to content
worldfires
en
CA · Canada · →

Cariboo I fire, 8 July 2017 Cariboo I, Bulkley-Nechako F, Bulkley-Nechako D

Out · last detection 26 Oct 2017, 11:32 UTC

The fire started on 8 July 2017 in Cariboo I, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 112 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 5,330 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across 3 census subdivisions.

It is the 171th largest in British Columbia since 2016 (of 448 with a page). Number 80 in Canada in 2017, of 242.

Compare with…

Suggestions: Cariboo I · 2018Bulkley-Nechako D · 2021Bulkley-Nechako D · 2024Bulkley-Nechako F · 2023

Burnt area
5,330ha
official perimeter (CWFIS)
Duration
112days
8 Jul 2017 – 27 Oct 2017
Census subdivisions hit
3
municipalities
Started on
8 Jul
2017
Heat detections
1,003
in a single hotspot: 436 MW
Danger at start
16
Moderate · FWI index
Average daily power
663MW
detected power per day, on average

Where it burned

HOTSPOTS BY DAY 8 Jul27 Oct
26 Oct 2017

How it evolved, day by day

8 Jul 2017 · 326 MW · 27 9 Jul 2017 · 3,268 MW · 34 10 Jul 2017 · 42 MW · 4 11 Jul 2017 · 215 MW · 42 4 Aug 2017 · 2,910 MW · 131 5 Aug 2017 · 765 MW · 81 6 Aug 2017 · 748 MW · 56 7 Aug 2017 · 1,495 MW · 87 8 Aug 2017 · 270 MW · 69 9 Aug 2017 · 944 MW · 88 10 Aug 2017 · 1,257 MW · 86 11 Aug 2017 · 1,978 MW · 138 12 Aug 2017 · 1,063 MW · 34 13 Aug 2017 · 110 MW · 16 14 Aug 2017 · 398 MW · 83 17 Aug 2017 · 2 MW · 1 18 Aug 2017 · 22 MW · 8 19 Aug 2017 · 4 MW · 4 23 Aug 2017 · 11 MW · 1 24 Aug 2017 · 4 MW · 1 30 Aug 2017 · 2 MW · 1 31 Aug 2017 · 2 MW · 2 19 Oct 2017 · 65 MW · 6 26 Oct 2017 · 7 MW · 3
8 Jul 9 Jul 4 Aug 8 Aug 12 Aug 18 Aug 30 Aug

Fire radiative power detected each day, in megawatts, and number of hotspots. The magenta bar marks the peak day.

The weather it burned in

31°high
87km/h · peak gust
19%lowest humidity

It had gone 0 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 3.3 mm on 1 Nov.

This area had burned before

No earlier perimeters overlap this fire since 2016, when the satellite record begins.

How big is it?

10 km
It burned the equivalent of 3.4% of the area of London (53 km² against 1,583 km²).

London boundary: geoBoundaries · Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0).

This compares size, not location: both shapes are at the same scale, north up, centred on each other.

What happened to each census subdivision

  1. Cariboo I where it started
    4,838 ha reached on 8 Jul
    0.4 %
  2. Bulkley-Nechako F
    419 ha reached on 10 Aug
    0.1 %
  3. Bulkley-Nechako D
    115 ha reached on 8 Jul
    0.0 %

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 2015
Built-up area< 0.1 ha
Residents< 20

Inside the perimeter there was no noticeable built-up land and almost nobody lived there (GHSL 2015, 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.

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)

Day High Min. humidity Peak gust Rain Danger (FWI)
8 Jul 23.9 °C 31 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
9 Jul 18.1 °C 34 % 58 km/h 1.2 mm Moderate 14
10 Jul 16.7 °C 37 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
11 Jul 19.9 °C 36 % 24 km/h 0.2 mm Moderate 15
12 Jul 18.2 °C 58 % 30 km/h 4.9 mm Very low 1
13 Jul 17.6 °C 46 % 32 km/h 2.6 mm Very low 2
14 Jul 19.6 °C 39 % 23 km/h 0.4 mm Very low 5
15 Jul 17.6 °C 47 % 45 km/h 1.8 mm Very low 4
16 Jul 14.3 °C 51 % 67 km/h 0.0 mm Low 9
17 Jul 19.3 °C 35 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
18 Jul 23.5 °C 30 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
19 Jul 23.5 °C 34 % 28 km/h 0.5 mm Moderate 16
20 Jul 17.0 °C 54 % 32 km/h 2.3 mm Very low 4
21 Jul 18.6 °C 45 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Low 7
22 Jul 19.7 °C 50 % 44 km/h 0.6 mm Low 10
23 Jul 16.1 °C 43 % 52 km/h 0.5 mm Moderate 15
24 Jul 24.2 °C 26 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
25 Jul 26.7 °C 24 % 29 km/h 0.1 mm High 23
26 Jul 22.1 °C 48 % 31 km/h 4.8 mm Very low 3
27 Jul 19.0 °C 37 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm Low 7
28 Jul 20.7 °C 41 % 28 km/h 0.2 mm Low 10
29 Jul 22.1 °C 42 % 32 km/h 3.3 mm Very low 3
30 Jul 20.1 °C 32 % 42 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
31 Jul 22.3 °C 34 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
1 Aug 24.6 °C 25 % 22 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
2 Aug 28.0 °C 24 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 20
3 Aug 27.7 °C 19 % 45 km/h 0.0 mm High 29
4 Aug 26.4 °C 26 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm High 27
5 Aug 27.7 °C 23 % 22 km/h 0.0 mm High 25
6 Aug 29.2 °C 22 % 19 km/h 0.0 mm High 25
7 Aug 28.1 °C 28 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm High 26
8 Aug 28.5 °C 27 % 19 km/h 0.0 mm High 26
9 Aug 30.3 °C 24 % 24 km/h 0.3 mm High 27
10 Aug 31.0 °C 21 % 22 km/h 0.0 mm High 28
11 Aug 29.3 °C 27 % 42 km/h 0.2 mm High 33
12 Aug 26.7 °C 24 % 48 km/h 1.2 mm High 26
13 Aug 16.9 °C 40 % 50 km/h 2.0 mm Low 10
14 Aug 17.1 °C 38 % 36 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
15 Aug 18.1 °C 36 % 39 km/h 0.6 mm Moderate 18
16 Aug 19.2 °C 44 % 50 km/h 0.4 mm Moderate 21
17 Aug 20.5 °C 43 % 46 km/h 0.0 mm High 22
18 Aug 15.8 °C 41 % 67 km/h 0.5 mm High 24
19 Aug 15.9 °C 45 % 45 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 21
20 Aug 14.8 °C 72 % 22 km/h 6.2 mm Very low 0
21 Aug 21.3 °C 60 % 32 km/h 6.3 mm Very low 0
22 Aug 25.0 °C 44 % 27 km/h 2.7 mm Very low 2
23 Aug 20.3 °C 36 % 34 km/h 0.2 mm Low 6
24 Aug 15.1 °C 41 % 53 km/h 0.7 mm Low 10
25 Aug 15.0 °C 53 % 31 km/h 0.6 mm Low 8
26 Aug 19.7 °C 50 % 47 km/h 1.5 mm Low 6
27 Aug 22.6 °C 48 % 46 km/h 0.0 mm Low 11
28 Aug 24.0 °C 41 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
29 Aug 25.3 °C 35 % 24 km/h 0.5 mm Moderate 15
30 Aug 21.3 °C 43 % 46 km/h 1.8 mm Low 7
31 Aug 18.3 °C 38 % 39 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
1 Sept 18.9 °C 47 % 40 km/h 2.2 mm Very low 4
2 Sept 16.4 °C 62 % 33 km/h 10.1 mm Very low 0
3 Sept 21.1 °C 43 % 19 km/h 1.4 mm Very low 1
4 Sept 23.8 °C 33 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Low 6
5 Sept 25.7 °C 36 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
6 Sept 25.8 °C 36 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
7 Sept 20.8 °C 63 % 39 km/h 5.3 mm Very low 0
8 Sept 20.0 °C 35 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 2
9 Sept 16.1 °C 50 % 61 km/h 1.5 mm Very low 4
10 Sept 13.5 °C 54 % 46 km/h 3.0 mm Very low 2
11 Sept 17.3 °C 39 % 59 km/h 5.0 mm Very low 1
12 Sept 13.3 °C 48 % 33 km/h 1.4 mm Very low 1
13 Sept 14.3 °C 37 % 31 km/h 0.1 mm Very low 3
14 Sept 17.1 °C 33 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Low 5
15 Sept 18.9 °C 29 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Low 8
16 Sept 18.9 °C 24 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 11
17 Sept 11.4 °C 55 % 39 km/h 9.1 mm Very low 0
18 Sept 10.4 °C 51 % 31 km/h 0.4 mm Very low 1
19 Sept 11.0 °C 47 % 24 km/h 0.7 mm Very low 1
20 Sept 10.2 °C 58 % 53 km/h 12.5 mm Very low 0
21 Sept 12.2 °C 43 % 33 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
22 Sept 10.0 °C 54 % 17 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
23 Sept 13.8 °C 66 % 28 km/h 1.6 mm Very low 1
24 Sept 15.7 °C 60 % 35 km/h 3.4 mm Very low 0
25 Sept 14.9 °C 71 % 28 km/h 6.3 mm Very low 0
26 Sept 18.0 °C 60 % 36 km/h 0.3 mm Very low 0
27 Sept 22.7 °C 40 % 21 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
28 Sept 23.1 °C 33 % 21 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 5
29 Sept 14.5 °C 70 % 37 km/h 8.6 mm Very low 0
30 Sept 9.8 °C 54 % 48 km/h 0.7 mm Very low 0
1 Oct 8.8 °C 53 % 41 km/h 1.8 mm Very low 0
2 Oct 8.6 °C 38 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
3 Oct 13.0 °C 25 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 2
4 Oct 15.9 °C 28 % 16 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 4
5 Oct 17.3 °C 31 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Low 6
6 Oct 10.6 °C 42 % 87 km/h 1.6 mm Very low 3
7 Oct 8.3 °C 61 % 46 km/h 3.7 mm Very low 0
8 Oct 10.0 °C 50 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
9 Oct 6.2 °C 65 % 41 km/h 6.5 mm Very low 0
10 Oct 4.4 °C 74 % 46 km/h 4.5 mm Very low 0
11 Oct 5.8 °C 47 % 41 km/h 0.5 mm Very low 0
12 Oct 2.5 °C 85 % 24 km/h 5.7 mm Very low 0
13 Oct 3.5 °C 58 % 27 km/h 1.0 mm Very low 0
14 Oct 8.4 °C 74 % 43 km/h 3.8 mm Very low 0
15 Oct 9.7 °C 63 % 56 km/h 1.3 mm Very low 0
16 Oct 11.8 °C 79 % 52 km/h 14.7 mm Very low 0
17 Oct 6.8 °C 51 % 73 km/h 7.7 mm Very low 0
18 Oct 6.7 °C 64 % 69 km/h 5.5 mm Very low 0
19 Oct 11.5 °C 41 % 58 km/h 0.3 mm Very low 0
20 Oct 5.2 °C 53 % 43 km/h 0.4 mm Very low 0
21 Oct 4.8 °C 59 % 47 km/h 2.6 mm Very low 0
22 Oct 9.4 °C 47 % 70 km/h 0.4 mm Very low 0
23 Oct 10.3 °C 56 % 54 km/h 2.5 mm Very low 0
24 Oct 12.8 °C 73 % 61 km/h 6.2 mm Very low 0
25 Oct 11.7 °C 58 % 67 km/h 8.9 mm Very low 0
26 Oct 8.6 °C 55 % 15 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 0
27 Oct 13.6 °C 58 % 17 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 0
28 Oct after 14.2 °C 59 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 0
29 Oct after 7.2 °C 41 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
30 Oct after 7.1 °C 36 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
31 Oct after 10.6 °C 57 % 55 km/h 0.1 mm Very low 3
1 Nov after 4.4 °C 57 % 64 km/h 3.3 mm Very low 0

Before and after, from space

Drag the line to compare the same ground before the fire and after it.

Before · 1 Jul 2017
After · 3 Nov 2017

If the day is cloudy, change the date: each satellite passes once a day. In false colour the burnt ground looks brown or red.

Detections table · 1,003Every 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 timeSatelliteFRP (MW)LatLon

Other fires nearby

All fires in Canada ›

Frequently asked questions

How long did the Cariboo I fire last?
It burned between 8 July 2017 and 27 October 2017: 112 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 5,330 hectares (53.3 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
Which census subdivisions burned?
The fire entered 3 census subdivisions: Cariboo I (4,838 ha, 0.4 %); Bulkley-Nechako F (419 ha, 0.1 %); Bulkley-Nechako D (115 ha, 0.0 %).
What was the weather like?
During the fire the temperature reached 31.0 °C, humidity dropped to 19 % and gusts hit 87 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 33, 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 ›

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

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
What do you think is wrong?

We will only use your email to reply about this report. Privacy. This is not an emergency service: if there is a fire now, call 911.

How we know this
  • Perimeter: NBAC (Natural Resources Canada), official.
  • Dates from the perimeter: the VIIRS detections inside it did not change them. 1,003 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 2015, 100 m cells), summed inside the perimeter: an estimate of what was there, not a damage count.

How we build fire pages: methodology ›

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.