How long did the Mackenzie County fire last?

According to the heat detections seen by satellite inside the perimeter, it burned from 30 June 2023 to 13 October 2023 (106 days). The perimeter dates it from 30 June 2023 to 9 October 2023.

How much area did it burn?

The official perimeter mapped by Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) is 13,147 hectares (131.5 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.

Which census subdivisions burned?

The fire only entered Mackenzie County (12,814 ha, 0.2 %).

What was the weather like?

During the fire the temperature reached 29.5 °C, humidity dropped to 23 % and gusts hit 56 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.

CA · Canada · 2023-06-30 → 2023-10-13

Mackenzie County fire, 30 June 2023 Mackenzie County

Out · last detection 13 Oct 2023, 20:45 UTC

The fire started on 30 June 2023 in Mackenzie County, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 106 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 13,147 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across a single census subdivision.

It is the 56th largest in Alberta since 2016 (of 243 with a page). Number 135 in Canada in 2023, of 489.

Compare with…

Suggestions: Mackenzie County · 2024 Mackenzie County · 2023

Burnt area: 13,147ha; official perimeter (CWFIS)
Duration: 106days; 30 Jun 2023 – 13 Oct 2023
Census subdivisions hit: 1; municipalities
Started on: 30 Jun; 2023
Heat detections: 2,339; in a single hotspot: 120 MW
Danger at start: 18; Moderate · FWI index
Average daily power: 279MW; detected power per day, on average

HOTSPOTS BY DAY 30 Jun13 Oct

Play back 13 Oct 2023

How it evolved, day by day

30 Jun 1 Jul 10 Jul 16 Jul 25 Aug 31 Aug 21 Sept 9 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

30°high

56km/h · peak gust

23%lowest humidity

It had gone 0 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 2.0 mm on 21 Oct.

This area had burned before

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

How big is it?

It burned the equivalent of 8.3% of the area of London (131 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

Mackenzie County where it started

12,814 ha reached on 30 Jun

0.2 %

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 2025

Built-up area< 0.1 ha

Residents< 20

Inside the perimeter there was no noticeable built-up land and almost nobody lived there (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)

Day	High	Min. humidity	Peak gust	Rain	Danger (FWI)
30 Jun	26.8 °C	27 %	47 km/h	0.3 mm	Moderate 18
1 Jul	23.1 °C	30 %	31 km/h	0.2 mm	Moderate 16
2 Jul	17.9 °C	61 %	43 km/h	8.9 mm	Very low 0
3 Jul	20.3 °C	47 %	51 km/h	2.4 mm	Very low 2
4 Jul	24.3 °C	29 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
5 Jul	27.3 °C	36 %	34 km/h	2.0 mm	Low 7
6 Jul	23.8 °C	34 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
7 Jul	26.4 °C	29 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
8 Jul	29.3 °C	34 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
9 Jul	25.8 °C	40 %	35 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
10 Jul	24.1 °C	36 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
11 Jul	27.3 °C	37 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
12 Jul	28.0 °C	32 %	29 km/h	0.8 mm	Moderate 16
13 Jul	26.6 °C	31 %	37 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 21
14 Jul	24.1 °C	35 %	28 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 19
15 Jul	24.2 °C	36 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
16 Jul	25.5 °C	44 %	32 km/h	1.1 mm	Moderate 11
17 Jul	19.5 °C	63 %	33 km/h	6.2 mm	Very low 1
18 Jul	21.7 °C	63 %	21 km/h	1.6 mm	Very low 1
19 Jul	22.9 °C	60 %	20 km/h	3.8 mm	Very low 1
20 Jul	26.0 °C	46 %	21 km/h	0.4 mm	Very low 3
21 Jul	28.2 °C	33 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
22 Jul	27.1 °C	39 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
23 Jul	26.5 °C	42 %	24 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 14
24 Jul	26.4 °C	45 %	24 km/h	0.7 mm	Moderate 12
25 Jul	18.3 °C	72 %	32 km/h	35.3 mm	Very low 0
26 Jul	18.7 °C	61 %	31 km/h	0.8 mm	Very low 1
27 Jul	20.9 °C	43 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
28 Jul	24.0 °C	34 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
29 Jul	25.7 °C	33 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
30 Jul	26.9 °C	34 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
31 Jul	18.9 °C	65 %	21 km/h	7.5 mm	Very low 0
1 Aug	20.5 °C	66 %	32 km/h	1.9 mm	Very low 0
2 Aug	21.3 °C	63 %	18 km/h	1.1 mm	Very low 1
3 Aug	15.6 °C	88 %	25 km/h	17.6 mm	Very low 0
4 Aug	22.7 °C	51 %	26 km/h	0.3 mm	Very low 0
5 Aug	25.4 °C	41 %	27 km/h	0.2 mm	Very low 1
6 Aug	23.2 °C	51 %	24 km/h	0.3 mm	Very low 4
7 Aug	22.4 °C	33 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
8 Aug	23.2 °C	36 %	32 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
9 Aug	16.0 °C	60 %	37 km/h	15.2 mm	Very low 0
10 Aug	15.4 °C	89 %	20 km/h	9.0 mm	Very low 0
11 Aug	18.8 °C	72 %	22 km/h	8.2 mm	Very low 0
12 Aug	22.8 °C	48 %	36 km/h	0.8 mm	Very low 0
13 Aug	28.5 °C	39 %	36 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
14 Aug	23.2 °C	31 %	44 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
15 Aug	20.7 °C	52 %	27 km/h	0.9 mm	Very low 4
16 Aug	22.8 °C	42 %	38 km/h	0.5 mm	Low 7
17 Aug	21.8 °C	43 %	30 km/h	0.2 mm	Low 8
18 Aug	13.1 °C	64 %	32 km/h	1.3 mm	Very low 2
19 Aug	21.7 °C	40 %	31 km/h	1.3 mm	Very low 4
20 Aug	24.2 °C	35 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
21 Aug	25.4 °C	27 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
22 Aug	24.0 °C	39 %	18 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
23 Aug	18.7 °C	66 %	16 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
24 Aug	21.1 °C	40 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
25 Aug	25.4 °C	38 %	36 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
26 Aug	26.0 °C	44 %	34 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
27 Aug	26.5 °C	44 %	25 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
28 Aug	28.9 °C	45 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
29 Aug	29.5 °C	36 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
30 Aug	25.9 °C	54 %	20 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
31 Aug	24.4 °C	46 %	31 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 16
1 Sept	25.7 °C	30 %	56 km/h	0.0 mm	High 26
2 Sept	20.8 °C	36 %	50 km/h	0.0 mm	High 24
3 Sept	17.1 °C	38 %	41 km/h	0.1 mm	High 21
4 Sept	14.5 °C	42 %	39 km/h	0.8 mm	Moderate 13
5 Sept	16.5 °C	38 %	32 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 14
6 Sept	13.6 °C	80 %	24 km/h	6.0 mm	Very low 0
7 Sept	19.4 °C	45 %	24 km/h	0.2 mm	Very low 2
8 Sept	21.0 °C	33 %	18 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
9 Sept	22.8 °C	28 %	16 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
10 Sept	25.8 °C	29 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
11 Sept	27.0 °C	31 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
12 Sept	20.7 °C	43 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
13 Sept	19.6 °C	44 %	43 km/h	2.7 mm	Low 5
14 Sept	19.2 °C	34 %	38 km/h	1.4 mm	Low 7
15 Sept	26.1 °C	24 %	39 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
16 Sept	20.8 °C	33 %	34 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 21
17 Sept	21.5 °C	34 %	28 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
18 Sept	16.5 °C	42 %	44 km/h	0.4 mm	Moderate 20
19 Sept	18.0 °C	39 %	26 km/h	0.1 mm	Moderate 18
20 Sept	17.7 °C	45 %	18 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
21 Sept	20.8 °C	32 %	52 km/h	0.0 mm	High 24
22 Sept	26.3 °C	23 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	High 29
23 Sept	22.4 °C	46 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
24 Sept	17.9 °C	50 %	35 km/h	1.7 mm	Low 7
25 Sept	17.2 °C	46 %	33 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
26 Sept	20.7 °C	45 %	31 km/h	1.1 mm	Low 10
27 Sept	17.9 °C	47 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
28 Sept	8.6 °C	82 %	21 km/h	1.1 mm	Very low 4
29 Sept	8.1 °C	79 %	13 km/h	1.0 mm	Very low 3
30 Sept	11.9 °C	58 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
1 Oct	14.2 °C	46 %	43 km/h	0.2 mm	Moderate 11
2 Oct	13.8 °C	53 %	24 km/h	2.9 mm	Very low 3
3 Oct	15.6 °C	43 %	27 km/h	0.1 mm	Low 6
4 Oct	8.5 °C	72 %	50 km/h	3.1 mm	Very low 2
5 Oct	4.6 °C	46 %	46 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 5
6 Oct	11.0 °C	46 %	32 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
7 Oct	17.0 °C	55 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
8 Oct	24.3 °C	26 %	39 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
9 Oct	23.5 °C	28 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
10 Oct	21.0 °C	39 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
11 Oct	18.1 °C	47 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
12 Oct	16.5 °C	58 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
13 Oct	13.6 °C	50 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
14 Oct after	13.9 °C	48 %	40 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
15 Oct after	14.5 °C	51 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
16 Oct after	16.6 °C	44 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 14
17 Oct after	8.6 °C	75 %	18 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
18 Oct after	15.1 °C	51 %	38 km/h	0.5 mm	Moderate 12
19 Oct after	16.6 °C	38 %	32 km/h	0.2 mm	Moderate 16
20 Oct after	11.7 °C	39 %	40 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
21 Oct after	-0.2 °C	69 %	37 km/h	2.0 mm	Very low 4

Before and after, from space

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

↔

Before · 23 Jun 2023

After · 20 Oct 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 25 September 2023 the air beside the fire reached 689 µg/m³ of PM2.5. That day averaged 487: 32 times the WHO daily guideline (15).

PM2.5 peak689 µg/m³

Days over the guideline63 days

PM10984 µg/m³

Optical depth10.66

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 · 2,339Every 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

All fires in Canada ›

Frequently asked questions

How long did the Mackenzie County fire last?: According to the heat detections seen by satellite inside the perimeter, it burned from 30 June 2023 to 13 October 2023 (106 days). The perimeter dates it from 30 June 2023 to 9 October 2023.
How much area did it burn?: The official perimeter mapped by Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) is 13,147 hectares (131.5 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
Which census subdivisions burned?: The fire only entered Mackenzie County (12,814 ha, 0.2 %).
What was the weather like?: During the fire the temperature reached 29.5 °C, humidity dropped to 23 % and gusts hit 56 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.

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

NASA FIRMS ↗
CWFIS · Interactive map ↗

History of this page · 1 Changes in area, dates, name, official record or merged pages, compared every night since 24 October 2026.

25 October 2026 Last day with fire: 9 October 2023 → 13 October 2023.

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.

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What really happened?

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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 adjusted with the VIIRS detections inside the perimeter, which said 30 June 2023 to 9 October 2023. 2,339 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.

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.

Where it burned