How long did the Mackenzie County fire last?

It burned between 4 June 2023 and 23 November 2023: 173 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 188,082 hectares (1,880.8 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.

Which census subdivisions burned?

The fire entered 2 census subdivisions: Mackenzie County (185,678 ha, 2.3 %); Northern Lights County (939 ha, 0.0 %).

What was the weather like?

During the fire the temperature reached 32.0 °C, humidity dropped to 21 % and gusts hit 67 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 34, 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.

CA · Canada · 2023-06-04 → 2023-11-23

Mackenzie County fire, 4 June 2023 Mackenzie County, Northern Lights County

Out · last detection 24 Nov 2023, 11:06 UTC

The fire started on 4 June 2023 in Mackenzie County, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 173 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 188,082 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across 2 census subdivisions.

It is the 5th largest in Alberta since 2016 (of 243 with a page). Number 14 in Canada in 2023, of 489.

Burnt area: 188,082ha; official perimeter (CWFIS)
Duration: 173days; 4 Jun 2023 – 23 Nov 2023
Municipalities hit: 2; municipalities
Started on: 4 Jun; 2023
Heat detections: 40,598; in a single hotspot: 1,025 MW
Danger at start: 6; Low · FWI index
Energy released: 542.2GW; sum of detected power

Play back 24 Nov 2023

HOTSPOTS BY DAY 4 Jun23 Nov

How it evolved, day by day

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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

67km/h · peak gust

21%lowest humidity

It had gone 6 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started.

This area had burned before

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

What happened to each town

Mackenzie County where it started

185,678 ha reached on 6 Jun

2.3 %
Northern Lights County

939 ha reached on 12 Jun

0.0 %

Burnt area inside each census subdivision, from crossing the official perimeter with administrative boundaries. The distance is from the town centre to the nearest fire: staying a kilometre away does not mean it reached the houses.

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)
4 Jun	25.4 °C	41 %	51 km/h	4.8 mm	Low 6
5 Jun	20.7 °C	24 %	40 km/h	2.5 mm	Low 7
6 Jun	18.8 °C	29 %	48 km/h	0.5 mm	Moderate 16
7 Jun	19.8 °C	34 %	54 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 21
8 Jun	23.9 °C	35 %	35 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 19
9 Jun	28.9 °C	27 %	44 km/h	0.0 mm	High 27
10 Jun	27.7 °C	35 %	35 km/h	0.2 mm	High 25
11 Jun	22.1 °C	21 %	59 km/h	0.0 mm	High 34
12 Jun	19.4 °C	49 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 19
13 Jun	21.4 °C	29 %	30 km/h	0.2 mm	Moderate 20
14 Jun	18.1 °C	43 %	45 km/h	2.7 mm	Low 6
15 Jun	19.1 °C	38 %	31 km/h	0.4 mm	Low 11
16 Jun	18.0 °C	38 %	49 km/h	3.2 mm	Low 6
17 Jun	15.3 °C	55 %	36 km/h	11.1 mm	Very low 0
18 Jun	16.9 °C	41 %	42 km/h	1.1 mm	Very low 3
19 Jun	16.6 °C	33 %	60 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
20 Jun	19.8 °C	23 %	34 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
21 Jun	24.0 °C	25 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
22 Jun	23.5 °C	33 %	30 km/h	0.3 mm	Moderate 20
23 Jun	27.1 °C	30 %	33 km/h	0.3 mm	Moderate 19
24 Jun	24.2 °C	45 %	42 km/h	1.1 mm	Moderate 12
25 Jun	23.2 °C	36 %	36 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
26 Jun	25.9 °C	29 %	44 km/h	7.0 mm	Very low 4
27 Jun	27.7 °C	32 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
28 Jun	28.3 °C	32 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
29 Jun	27.6 °C	29 %	44 km/h	0.7 mm	High 22
30 Jun	21.7 °C	38 %	50 km/h	4.7 mm	Very low 4
1 Jul	22.1 °C	31 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
2 Jul	20.9 °C	38 %	46 km/h	0.4 mm	Moderate 16
3 Jul	19.3 °C	51 %	41 km/h	5.8 mm	Very low 2
4 Jul	24.7 °C	29 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 7
5 Jul	28.1 °C	29 %	41 km/h	0.7 mm	Moderate 16
6 Jul	25.7 °C	31 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
7 Jul	26.3 °C	35 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
8 Jul	31.0 °C	26 %	32 km/h	0.0 mm	High 24
9 Jul	29.0 °C	39 %	37 km/h	0.0 mm	High 23
10 Jul	23.9 °C	51 %	42 km/h	13.3 mm	Very low 2
11 Jul	23.8 °C	65 %	26 km/h	11.7 mm	Very low 0
12 Jul	23.4 °C	65 %	25 km/h	2.3 mm	Very low 0
13 Jul	25.4 °C	36 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
14 Jul	24.6 °C	40 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 7
15 Jul	24.6 °C	35 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
16 Jul	23.1 °C	56 %	32 km/h	1.6 mm	Very low 3
17 Jul	19.5 °C	72 %	34 km/h	2.7 mm	Very low 1
18 Jul	20.3 °C	63 %	21 km/h	3.6 mm	Very low 0
19 Jul	22.5 °C	57 %	29 km/h	0.8 mm	Very low 1
20 Jul	25.5 °C	43 %	17 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
21 Jul	26.7 °C	39 %	19 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
22 Jul	26.9 °C	38 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
23 Jul	25.2 °C	28 %	28 km/h	1.0 mm	Moderate 12
24 Jul	23.8 °C	38 %	26 km/h	3.3 mm	Very low 3
25 Jul	18.4 °C	70 %	27 km/h	28.5 mm	Very low 0
26 Jul	17.5 °C	83 %	35 km/h	13.5 mm	Very low 0
27 Jul	20.3 °C	40 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 0
28 Jul	23.2 °C	34 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 2
29 Jul	24.1 °C	35 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
30 Jul	24.8 °C	32 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 11
31 Jul	20.7 °C	53 %	38 km/h	12.0 mm	Very low 0
1 Aug	19.4 °C	64 %	31 km/h	4.2 mm	Very low 0
2 Aug	20.5 °C	47 %	18 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 1
3 Aug	20.3 °C	55 %	23 km/h	2.5 mm	Very low 1
4 Aug	21.9 °C	44 %	26 km/h	3.0 mm	Very low 1
5 Aug	25.2 °C	37 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
6 Aug	24.4 °C	47 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 5
7 Aug	22.7 °C	45 %	34 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
8 Aug	21.0 °C	50 %	41 km/h	0.5 mm	Low 9
9 Aug	20.1 °C	67 %	35 km/h	8.0 mm	Very low 0
10 Aug	16.7 °C	81 %	24 km/h	9.2 mm	Very low 0
11 Aug	20.0 °C	57 %	35 km/h	2.0 mm	Very low 0
12 Aug	22.6 °C	40 %	38 km/h	0.2 mm	Very low 1
13 Aug	26.5 °C	34 %	48 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
14 Aug	21.8 °C	29 %	48 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
15 Aug	21.0 °C	42 %	49 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 12
16 Aug	22.4 °C	41 %	37 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
17 Aug	19.6 °C	31 %	44 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 13
18 Aug	13.3 °C	48 %	45 km/h	0.9 mm	Low 7
19 Aug	21.2 °C	36 %	38 km/h	1.4 mm	Low 5
20 Aug	22.4 °C	37 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
21 Aug	23.4 °C	32 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
22 Aug	23.2 °C	32 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
23 Aug	22.1 °C	38 %	28 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
24 Aug	23.1 °C	36 %	24 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 15
25 Aug	27.2 °C	26 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
26 Aug	25.9 °C	41 %	45 km/h	0.0 mm	High 23
27 Aug	29.9 °C	34 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
28 Aug	32.0 °C	32 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
29 Aug	30.6 °C	33 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 21
30 Aug	28.2 °C	37 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	High 21
31 Aug	22.7 °C	38 %	40 km/h	1.4 mm	Moderate 13
1 Sept	25.6 °C	26 %	57 km/h	0.0 mm	High 29
2 Sept	19.4 °C	32 %	57 km/h	0.0 mm	High 29
3 Sept	13.6 °C	49 %	54 km/h	0.9 mm	Moderate 15
4 Sept	16.3 °C	32 %	36 km/h	0.4 mm	Moderate 18
5 Sept	15.7 °C	47 %	31 km/h	1.5 mm	Low 6
6 Sept	14.5 °C	52 %	24 km/h	0.6 mm	Low 7
7 Sept	18.8 °C	35 %	23 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 14
8 Sept	20.0 °C	34 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
9 Sept	21.4 °C	32 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
10 Sept	23.7 °C	30 %	35 km/h	0.0 mm	High 24
11 Sept	25.5 °C	30 %	43 km/h	0.0 mm	High 28
12 Sept	23.1 °C	36 %	33 km/h	0.0 mm	High 26
13 Sept	16.6 °C	48 %	58 km/h	0.0 mm	High 27
14 Sept	19.0 °C	28 %	44 km/h	0.0 mm	High 27
15 Sept	25.2 °C	21 %	48 km/h	0.0 mm	High 34
16 Sept	19.6 °C	36 %	44 km/h	0.0 mm	High 29
17 Sept	20.5 °C	29 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	High 29
18 Sept	16.9 °C	34 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	High 28
19 Sept	16.5 °C	37 %	35 km/h	0.1 mm	High 25
20 Sept	16.6 °C	39 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
21 Sept	22.0 °C	38 %	39 km/h	0.0 mm	High 26
22 Sept	25.2 °C	29 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	High 30
23 Sept	21.4 °C	38 %	33 km/h	0.0 mm	High 27
24 Sept	15.5 °C	58 %	32 km/h	10.2 mm	Very low 1
25 Sept	12.4 °C	66 %	38 km/h	1.8 mm	Very low 2
26 Sept	18.1 °C	47 %	36 km/h	2.3 mm	Very low 4
27 Sept	15.6 °C	58 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
28 Sept	10.7 °C	68 %	26 km/h	0.2 mm	Very low 5
29 Sept	9.3 °C	74 %	17 km/h	0.1 mm	Very low 4
30 Sept	12.0 °C	55 %	30 km/h	0.2 mm	Low 8
1 Oct	12.6 °C	50 %	34 km/h	0.8 mm	Low 8
2 Oct	13.4 °C	58 %	24 km/h	0.7 mm	Low 7
3 Oct	14.8 °C	43 %	32 km/h	0.3 mm	Moderate 12
4 Oct	8.8 °C	60 %	60 km/h	4.0 mm	Very low 2
5 Oct	4.0 °C	35 %	44 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
6 Oct	17.5 °C	43 %	40 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
7 Oct	18.5 °C	53 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
8 Oct	21.3 °C	40 %	44 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
9 Oct	18.9 °C	47 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
10 Oct	15.1 °C	58 %	25 km/h	0.3 mm	Moderate 11
11 Oct	14.9 °C	58 %	26 km/h	0.6 mm	Low 9
12 Oct	14.7 °C	67 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
13 Oct	14.0 °C	56 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 11
14 Oct	13.6 °C	60 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
15 Oct	15.7 °C	53 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
16 Oct	14.9 °C	50 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
17 Oct	9.5 °C	82 %	26 km/h	1.4 mm	Very low 4
18 Oct	14.9 °C	50 %	38 km/h	4.5 mm	Very low 1
19 Oct	14.4 °C	41 %	40 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 5
20 Oct	10.3 °C	40 %	50 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
21 Oct	4.9 °C	46 %	37 km/h	0.4 mm	Low 9
22 Oct	-2.5 °C	50 %	28 km/h	0.8 mm	Very low 5
23 Oct	-4.5 °C	23 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
24 Oct	-2.3 °C	32 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
25 Oct	-2.6 °C	37 %	36 km/h	0.5 mm	Low 10
26 Oct	0.1 °C	47 %	37 km/h	0.3 mm	Low 10
27 Oct	-0.2 °C	46 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
28 Oct	1.0 °C	49 %	47 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 11
29 Oct	3.1 °C	43 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
30 Oct	2.0 °C	61 %	37 km/h	0.6 mm	Low 8
31 Oct	2.6 °C	57 %	39 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
1 Nov	4.3 °C	69 %	27 km/h	0.5 mm	Low 7
2 Nov	-0.6 °C	75 %	28 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
3 Nov	-0.8 °C	73 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 5
4 Nov	-1.9 °C	74 %	31 km/h	1.5 mm	Very low 2
5 Nov	-2.9 °C	79 %	27 km/h	0.9 mm	Very low 2
6 Nov	-2.1 °C	83 %	19 km/h	2.2 mm	Very low 0
7 Nov	1.1 °C	82 %	42 km/h	1.6 mm	Very low 0
8 Nov	0.7 °C	51 %	39 km/h	0.2 mm	Very low 1
9 Nov	3.3 °C	63 %	42 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
10 Nov	5.2 °C	57 %	42 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
11 Nov	4.8 °C	56 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 5
12 Nov	-1.2 °C	61 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
13 Nov	-4.0 °C	65 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
14 Nov	1.8 °C	41 %	28 km/h	0.1 mm	Low 6
15 Nov	-4.8 °C	56 %	29 km/h	0.9 mm	Very low 4
16 Nov	3.3 °C	46 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
17 Nov	3.8 °C	65 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 7
18 Nov	3.8 °C	86 %	28 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
19 Nov	3.3 °C	78 %	67 km/h	3.7 mm	Very low 0
20 Nov	-7.8 °C	42 %	62 km/h	1.0 mm	Very low 1
21 Nov	-9.9 °C	72 %	33 km/h	6.0 mm	Very low 0
22 Nov	-7.5 °C	76 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 0
23 Nov	2.6 °C	51 %	42 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 0
24 Nov after	5.0 °C	58 %	53 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 2
25 Nov after	1.8 °C	64 %	43 km/h	0.8 mm	Very low 2
26 Nov after	-0.4 °C	84 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 1
27 Nov after	6.4 °C	45 %	52 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
28 Nov after	4.0 °C	45 %	50 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 5
29 Nov after	-0.8 °C	57 %	45 km/h	0.4 mm	Very low 4
30 Nov after	-3.7 °C	42 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
1 Dec after	-5.4 °C	53 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
2 Dec after	-9.0 °C	67 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
3 Dec after	-9.0 °C	68 %	24 km/h	0.4 mm	Very low 3
4 Dec after	-4.5 °C	74 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3

Before and after, from space

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

↔

Before · 28 May 2023

After · 30 Nov 2023

Before After

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 · Copernicus

On 24 September 2023 the air beside the fire reached 3,166 µg/m³ of PM2.5. That day averaged 2,115: 141 times the WHO daily guideline (15).

PM2.5 peak3,166 µg/m³

Days over the guideline100 days

PM103,181 µg/m³

Optical depth20.94

WHO 15

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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 · 40,598Every 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

Other fires nearby

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Frequently asked questions

How long did the Mackenzie County fire last?: It burned between 4 June 2023 and 23 November 2023: 173 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 188,082 hectares (1,880.8 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
Which census subdivisions burned?: The fire entered 2 census subdivisions: Mackenzie County (185,678 ha, 2.3 %); Northern Lights County (939 ha, 0.0 %).
What was the weather like?: During the fire the temperature reached 32.0 °C, humidity dropped to 21 % and gusts hit 67 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 34, 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

Satellite cross-check

NASA FIRMS ↗
CWFIS · Interactive map ↗

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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.

Where it burned