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Lac la Biche County fire, July 2022 Lac la Biche County

Out · last detection 20 Oct 2022, 20:57 UTC

The fire started on 14 July 2022 in Lac la Biche County, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 99 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 1,272 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across a single census subdivision.

It is the 165th largest in Alberta since 2016 (of 176 with a page). Number 170 in Canada in 2022, of 197.

Burnt area
1,272ha
official perimeter (CWFIS)
Duration
99days
14 Jul 2022 – 20 Oct 2022
Census subdivisions hit
1
municipalities
Started on
14 Jul
2022
Heat detections
138
in a single hotspot: 379 MW
Danger at start
10
Low · FWI index
Average daily power
223MW
detected power per day, on average

Where it burned

HOTSPOTS BY DAY 14 Jul20 Oct
20 Oct 2022

How it evolved, day by day

14 Jul 2022 · 1,165 MW · 8 15 Jul 2022 · 90 MW · 42 18 Jul 2022 · 2 MW · 1 19 Jul 2022 · 579 MW · 48 20 Jul 2022 · 107 MW · 17 21 Jul 2022 · 32 MW · 16 22 Jul 2022 · 1 MW · 1 23 Jul 2022 · 3 MW · 1 20 Oct 2022 · 26 MW · 4
14 Jul 18 Jul 20 Jul 22 Jul 20 Oct

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

The weather it burned in

32°high
69km/h · peak gust
27%lowest humidity

It had gone 0 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 2.3 mm on 22 Oct.

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 0.8% of the area of London (13 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. Lac la Biche County where it started
    1,286 ha reached on 14 Jul
    0.1 %

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 2020
Built-up area< 0.1 ha
Residents< 20

Inside the perimeter there was no noticeable built-up land and almost nobody lived there (GHSL 2020, 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)
14 Jul 24.2 °C 36 % 49 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
15 Jul 27.1 °C 38 % 27 km/h 2.9 mm Low 9
16 Jul 25.4 °C 42 % 33 km/h 0.3 mm Very low 3
17 Jul 26.6 °C 32 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
18 Jul 28.0 °C 36 % 38 km/h 0.2 mm Moderate 16
19 Jul 22.8 °C 39 % 57 km/h 1.0 mm High 22
20 Jul 23.0 °C 36 % 60 km/h 0.0 mm High 24
21 Jul 23.9 °C 43 % 36 km/h 0.3 mm Moderate 15
22 Jul 18.2 °C 57 % 34 km/h 1.8 mm Very low 4
23 Jul 22.4 °C 46 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Low 8
24 Jul 22.3 °C 48 % 42 km/h 0.7 mm Moderate 12
25 Jul 22.9 °C 40 % 36 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
26 Jul 24.2 °C 30 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 20
27 Jul 28.1 °C 35 % 19 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
28 Jul 31.9 °C 33 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm High 26
29 Jul 23.3 °C 55 % 32 km/h 0.1 mm Moderate 17
30 Jul 20.5 °C 55 % 35 km/h 5.2 mm Very low 2
31 Jul 23.1 °C 40 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 5
1 Aug 23.8 °C 61 % 36 km/h 13.1 mm Low 6
2 Aug 18.4 °C 43 % 31 km/h 1.9 mm Very low 1
3 Aug 20.5 °C 63 % 26 km/h 2.4 mm Very low 1
4 Aug 14.2 °C 92 % 54 km/h 46.4 mm Very low 0
5 Aug 19.0 °C 46 % 44 km/h 4.8 mm Very low 0
6 Aug 20.6 °C 52 % 41 km/h 2.1 mm Very low 2
7 Aug 25.1 °C 46 % 44 km/h 0.1 mm Very low 4
8 Aug 20.1 °C 43 % 60 km/h 0.9 mm Low 7
9 Aug 22.8 °C 35 % 20 km/h 0.0 mm Low 6
10 Aug 27.0 °C 42 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
11 Aug 28.2 °C 35 % 33 km/h 0.1 mm Low 10
12 Aug 23.8 °C 47 % 19 km/h 0.0 mm Low 8
13 Aug 28.6 °C 42 % 26 km/h 0.2 mm Low 11
14 Aug 24.9 °C 44 % 34 km/h 4.0 mm Very low 2
15 Aug 26.3 °C 35 % 43 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
16 Aug 24.1 °C 52 % 26 km/h 0.2 mm Low 9
17 Aug 27.3 °C 35 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
18 Aug 28.9 °C 34 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 19
19 Aug 30.7 °C 34 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 18
20 Aug 29.0 °C 42 % 26 km/h 0.3 mm Moderate 15
21 Aug 23.6 °C 42 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
22 Aug 26.8 °C 39 % 21 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
23 Aug 25.6 °C 49 % 19 km/h 0.5 mm Moderate 15
24 Aug 28.6 °C 37 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
25 Aug 29.7 °C 28 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm High 25
26 Aug 29.7 °C 34 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm High 28
27 Aug 20.1 °C 75 % 42 km/h 13.2 mm Moderate 11
28 Aug 19.6 °C 45 % 42 km/h 6.0 mm Very low 1
29 Aug 22.8 °C 46 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 4
30 Aug 28.4 °C 28 % 45 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 20
31 Aug 27.6 °C 35 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
1 Sept 17.3 °C 48 % 57 km/h 0.4 mm High 24
2 Sept 26.9 °C 31 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
3 Sept 30.7 °C 33 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
4 Sept 27.5 °C 45 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 18
5 Sept 19.4 °C 35 % 48 km/h 0.0 mm High 23
6 Sept 20.0 °C 31 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm High 23
7 Sept 17.6 °C 52 % 42 km/h 4.4 mm Very low 0
8 Sept 14.1 °C 59 % 53 km/h 6.5 mm Very low 2
9 Sept 16.6 °C 37 % 45 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 2
10 Sept 21.9 °C 39 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Low 6
11 Sept 21.9 °C 33 % 20 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
12 Sept 17.3 °C 32 % 19 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
13 Sept 18.6 °C 46 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
14 Sept 20.4 °C 30 % 17 km/h 0.0 mm Low 11
15 Sept 20.9 °C 47 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
16 Sept 19.1 °C 53 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
17 Sept 16.5 °C 65 % 24 km/h 10.8 mm Low 9
18 Sept 13.8 °C 78 % 19 km/h 3.2 mm Very low 0
19 Sept 9.3 °C 82 % 34 km/h 2.4 mm Very low 0
20 Sept 13.6 °C 45 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 1
21 Sept 19.8 °C 31 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 4
22 Sept 20.2 °C 37 % 35 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
23 Sept 17.8 °C 33 % 46 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
24 Sept 17.3 °C 32 % 55 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 20
25 Sept 19.9 °C 37 % 33 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
26 Sept 21.3 °C 42 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Low 11
27 Sept 24.7 °C 37 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
28 Sept 25.2 °C 36 % 21 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
29 Sept 14.8 °C 64 % 32 km/h 0.4 mm Moderate 13
30 Sept 18.5 °C 60 % 26 km/h 1.0 mm Very low 3
1 Oct 16.9 °C 66 % 43 km/h 0.0 mm Low 7
2 Oct 20.9 °C 27 % 36 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
3 Oct 17.6 °C 31 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
4 Oct 18.0 °C 32 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
5 Oct 10.8 °C 43 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 13
6 Oct 14.5 °C 50 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
7 Oct 20.8 °C 38 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
8 Oct 19.2 °C 45 % 19 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
9 Oct 20.2 °C 34 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
10 Oct 18.3 °C 43 % 54 km/h 2.0 mm High 23
11 Oct 9.6 °C 36 % 69 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
12 Oct 8.6 °C 33 % 50 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
13 Oct 17.0 °C 42 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 12
14 Oct 15.8 °C 48 % 48 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 18
15 Oct 2.0 °C 50 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Low 9
16 Oct 11.0 °C 43 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
17 Oct 17.5 °C 41 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
18 Oct 20.7 °C 32 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 19
19 Oct 20.2 °C 33 % 39 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 21
20 Oct 14.8 °C 36 % 53 km/h 0.0 mm High 29
21 Oct after 6.6 °C 59 % 28 km/h 0.6 mm Moderate 14
22 Oct after 5.0 °C 68 % 21 km/h 2.3 mm Very low 1

Its twins: fires that started in the same weather

It started with an FWI of 10.4, a minimum humidity of 36% and rain the day before. Fires in the area that started in weather like this since 2016: 15.

FWI at the start 10.4
Minimum humidity 36 %
Days without rain 0
this fire chosen twins rest of the area
Almost identicalSimilar

Outlines of the closest twins

Opportunity No. 17 fire, July 2024
21,484 ha 43 days FWI 12.4 Min. humidity 38 % 165 km away, in 2024

First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 2.8 mm on 17 Aug.

What happened to them

24 days
median duration
4,281 ha
median area
27 %
went past 10,000 ha
9.4 mm
rain at the end (median; 14 of 15 had it)

It stayed below its twins: 1,272 ha against a median of 4,281 ha. It lasted 99 days, against 24 days.

In 1 of 15, not even 1 mm fell in the ten days after the end: they went out without rain. In the rest, the first rainy day brought a median of 9.4 mm.

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

2.3 mmfirst rain
22 Oct2 days after it ended
69km/h · max. gust

It was considered over on 20 Oct, and on 22 Oct 2.3 mm fell. We do not know whether the rain or the firefighters put it out. Twins with rain when they ended: 14 of 15, with a median of 9.4 mm.

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.

How we calculate it

Before and after, from space

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

Before · 7 Jul 2022
After · 27 Oct 2022

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 · 138Every 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 Lac la Biche County fire last?
It burned between 14 July 2022 and 20 October 2022: 99 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 1,272 hectares (12.7 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
Which census subdivisions burned?
The fire only entered Lac la Biche County (1,286 ha, 0.1 %).
What was the weather like?
During the fire the temperature reached 31.9 °C, humidity dropped to 27 % and gusts hit 69 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 29, 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.
How did the fires that started in similar weather in this area end?
Fires less than 250 km away that started since 2016 with a similar FWI, humidity and dry spell: 15. Their median duration was 24 days and their median area 4,281 ha; 27 % went past 10,000 ha. In 1 of 15, not even 1 mm fell in the ten days after the end: they went out without rain. In the rest, the first rainy day brought a median of 9.4 mm.

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.

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. 138 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 2020, 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.