How long did the Peace River D fire last?

It burned between 6 June 2023 and 15 September 2023: 102 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 20,829 hectares (208.3 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.

Which census subdivisions burned?

The fire entered 2 census subdivisions: Peace River D (19,216 ha, 1.6 %); Tumbler Ridge (1,722 ha, 1.1 %).

What was the weather like?

During the fire the temperature reached 29.8 °C, humidity dropped to 10 % and gusts hit 67 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 40, class Very 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 · 2023-06-06 → 2023-09-15

Peace River D fire, 6 June 2023 Peace River D, Tumbler Ridge

Out · last detection 15 Sept 2023, 21:10 UTC

The fire started on 6 June 2023 in Peace River D, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 102 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 20,829 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across 2 census subdivisions.

It is the 56th largest in British Columbia since 2016 (of 449 with a page). Number 93 in Canada in 2023, of 489.

Compare with…

Suggestions: Peace River D · 2022 Peace River D · 2021 Peace River D · 2025

Burnt area: 20,829ha; official perimeter (CWFIS)
Duration: 102days; 6 Jun 2023 – 15 Sept 2023
Census subdivisions hit: 2; municipalities
Started on: 6 Jun; 2023
Heat detections: 3,013; in a single hotspot: 382 MW
Danger at start: 20; Moderate · FWI index
Average daily power: 5.9GW; detected power per day, on average

HOTSPOTS BY DAY 6 Jun15 Sept

Play back 15 Sept 2023

How it evolved, day by day

6 Jun 8 Jun 11 Jun 9 Jul 15 Sept

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

67km/h · peak gust

10%lowest humidity

It had gone 2 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 1.2 mm on 20 Sept.

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 13% of the area of London (208 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

Peace River D where it started

19,216 ha reached on 6 Jun

1.6 %
Tumbler Ridge

1,722 ha reached on 8 Jun

1.1 %

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 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)
6 Jun	19.8 °C	19 %	52 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
7 Jun	24.5 °C	22 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 19
8 Jun	26.0 °C	31 %	38 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 20
9 Jun	26.2 °C	42 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
10 Jun	21.4 °C	46 %	34 km/h	1.5 mm	Low 7
11 Jun	25.0 °C	27 %	34 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 16
12 Jun	24.1 °C	31 %	41 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 19
13 Jun	14.5 °C	62 %	36 km/h	15.5 mm	Very low 0
14 Jun	14.5 °C	56 %	44 km/h	6.5 mm	Very low 0
15 Jun	19.9 °C	29 %	31 km/h	0.4 mm	Very low 2
16 Jun	16.0 °C	42 %	66 km/h	3.2 mm	Very low 2
17 Jun	13.8 °C	30 %	49 km/h	0.5 mm	Low 5
18 Jun	10.1 °C	71 %	42 km/h	7.6 mm	Very low 0
19 Jun	15.2 °C	35 %	65 km/h	4.6 mm	Very low 1
20 Jun	18.2 °C	32 %	36 km/h	0.2 mm	Very low 2
21 Jun	21.9 °C	30 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 7
22 Jun	22.0 °C	43 %	38 km/h	2.2 mm	Very low 2
23 Jun	24.5 °C	39 %	22 km/h	7.3 mm	Very low 1
24 Jun	25.2 °C	36 %	34 km/h	3.0 mm	Very low 1
25 Jun	20.9 °C	64 %	30 km/h	11.6 mm	Very low 0
26 Jun	26.0 °C	29 %	35 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 2
27 Jun	22.9 °C	46 %	24 km/h	4.1 mm	Very low 1
28 Jun	26.4 °C	36 %	25 km/h	2.1 mm	Very low 1
29 Jun	23.4 °C	37 %	46 km/h	0.2 mm	Low 7
30 Jun	20.8 °C	26 %	51 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
1 Jul	17.1 °C	41 %	50 km/h	1.2 mm	Low 6
2 Jul	16.8 °C	39 %	52 km/h	3.3 mm	Very low 2
3 Jul	17.1 °C	63 %	33 km/h	8.7 mm	Very low 0
4 Jul	23.8 °C	30 %	22 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 1
5 Jul	25.5 °C	36 %	25 km/h	1.5 mm	Very low 3
6 Jul	22.8 °C	52 %	32 km/h	2.7 mm	Very low 1
7 Jul	24.4 °C	36 %	37 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
8 Jul	28.4 °C	33 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
9 Jul	29.8 °C	24 %	28 km/h	0.8 mm	Moderate 14
10 Jul	25.1 °C	39 %	30 km/h	3.1 mm	Very low 2
11 Jul	25.4 °C	33 %	37 km/h	1.7 mm	Very low 5
12 Jul	24.9 °C	30 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
13 Jul	21.5 °C	56 %	37 km/h	2.8 mm	Very low 2
14 Jul	20.8 °C	61 %	22 km/h	1.5 mm	Very low 1
15 Jul	23.2 °C	44 %	25 km/h	4.5 mm	Very low 1
16 Jul	21.2 °C	49 %	20 km/h	5.4 mm	Very low 0
17 Jul	20.0 °C	47 %	45 km/h	5.7 mm	Very low 1
18 Jul	18.5 °C	45 %	53 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
19 Jul	24.3 °C	31 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 7
20 Jul	26.7 °C	34 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
21 Jul	25.1 °C	45 %	29 km/h	7.4 mm	Very low 1
22 Jul	25.8 °C	32 %	23 km/h	1.3 mm	Very low 3
23 Jul	21.3 °C	35 %	26 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 8
24 Jul	17.6 °C	63 %	22 km/h	7.2 mm	Very low 0
25 Jul	11.3 °C	73 %	47 km/h	12.4 mm	Very low 0
26 Jul	15.1 °C	79 %	49 km/h	12.0 mm	Very low 0
27 Jul	16.8 °C	70 %	29 km/h	13.5 mm	Very low 0
28 Jul	18.4 °C	46 %	33 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 0
29 Jul	23.8 °C	33 %	31 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 2
30 Jul	23.0 °C	46 %	22 km/h	4.8 mm	Very low 0
31 Jul	20.1 °C	39 %	46 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
1 Aug	21.9 °C	36 %	30 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 5
2 Aug	15.9 °C	72 %	26 km/h	25.1 mm	Very low 0
3 Aug	19.2 °C	47 %	36 km/h	1.4 mm	Very low 0
4 Aug	23.3 °C	36 %	30 km/h	0.1 mm	Very low 2
5 Aug	25.8 °C	32 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 7
6 Aug	26.0 °C	32 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 9
7 Aug	25.0 °C	39 %	23 km/h	2.0 mm	Very low 2
8 Aug	19.0 °C	56 %	31 km/h	2.7 mm	Very low 1
9 Aug	19.7 °C	48 %	39 km/h	3.0 mm	Very low 1
10 Aug	19.1 °C	48 %	54 km/h	1.2 mm	Very low 2
11 Aug	18.5 °C	48 %	48 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 6
12 Aug	22.0 °C	33 %	52 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
13 Aug	26.3 °C	36 %	57 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
14 Aug	23.5 °C	30 %	48 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 15
15 Aug	22.8 °C	40 %	58 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
16 Aug	25.1 °C	37 %	50 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
17 Aug	23.2 °C	24 %	48 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 19
18 Aug	12.2 °C	59 %	42 km/h	3.2 mm	Very low 1
19 Aug	20.7 °C	34 %	24 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 4
20 Aug	21.8 °C	31 %	32 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 10
21 Aug	20.3 °C	49 %	40 km/h	0.2 mm	Moderate 12
22 Aug	17.5 °C	70 %	25 km/h	1.5 mm	Very low 2
23 Aug	13.5 °C	95 %	38 km/h	10.0 mm	Very low 0
24 Aug	19.3 °C	51 %	20 km/h	1.4 mm	Very low 0
25 Aug	24.5 °C	31 %	21 km/h	0.0 mm	Very low 3
26 Aug	25.3 °C	36 %	42 km/h	0.0 mm	Low 11
27 Aug	26.3 °C	35 %	33 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 13
28 Aug	28.0 °C	25 %	36 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
29 Aug	27.5 °C	25 %	19 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
30 Aug	22.1 °C	46 %	38 km/h	1.2 mm	Low 9
31 Aug	20.6 °C	41 %	36 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
1 Sept	23.1 °C	32 %	63 km/h	0.0 mm	High 23
2 Sept	20.8 °C	22 %	50 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
3 Sept	16.0 °C	33 %	40 km/h	0.7 mm	Moderate 14
4 Sept	13.3 °C	48 %	23 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 12
5 Sept	13.7 °C	44 %	34 km/h	0.5 mm	Moderate 13
6 Sept	15.1 °C	45 %	29 km/h	0.5 mm	Moderate 13
7 Sept	17.2 °C	32 %	46 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
8 Sept	19.6 °C	26 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 17
9 Sept	21.5 °C	33 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	Moderate 18
10 Sept	25.7 °C	23 %	29 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
11 Sept	20.5 °C	33 %	46 km/h	0.0 mm	High 24
12 Sept	19.7 °C	48 %	39 km/h	0.3 mm	Moderate 19
13 Sept	15.5 °C	31 %	67 km/h	0.0 mm	High 26
14 Sept	21.2 °C	22 %	34 km/h	0.0 mm	High 22
15 Sept	25.6 °C	10 %	56 km/h	0.0 mm	Very high 40
16 Sept after	21.5 °C	24 %	27 km/h	0.0 mm	High 28
17 Sept after	17.8 °C	34 %	58 km/h	0.3 mm	High 32
18 Sept after	12.4 °C	42 %	68 km/h	0.2 mm	High 29
19 Sept after	9.8 °C	54 %	40 km/h	0.7 mm	Moderate 13
20 Sept after	14.8 °C	38 %	25 km/h	1.2 mm	Low 8

Before and after, from space

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

↔

Before · 30 May 2023

After · 22 Sept 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 13 June 2023 the air beside the fire reached 292 µg/m³ of PM2.5. That day averaged 150: 10 times the WHO daily guideline (15).

PM2.5 peak292 µg/m³

Days over the guideline54 days

PM10417 µg/m³

Optical depth7.22

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 · 3,013Every 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 Peace River D fire last?: It burned between 6 June 2023 and 15 September 2023: 102 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 20,829 hectares (208.3 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
Which census subdivisions burned?: The fire entered 2 census subdivisions: Peace River D (19,216 ha, 1.6 %); Tumbler Ridge (1,722 ha, 1.1 %).
What was the weather like?: During the fire the temperature reached 29.8 °C, humidity dropped to 10 % and gusts hit 67 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 40, class Very 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 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.

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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 from the perimeter: the VIIRS detections inside it did not change them. 3,013 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