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CA · Canada · –

Region 5, Unorganized fire, June 2017 Region 5, Unorganized

Out · last detection 17 Aug 2017, 21:36 UTC

The fire started on 3 June 2017 in Region 5, Unorganized, Canada, and satellites saw it burning for 76 days. Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) mapped an official burnt perimeter of 42,337 hectares from satellite imagery, spread across a single census subdivision.

It is the 31th largest in Northwest Territories since 2016 (of 358 with a page). Number 11 in Canada in 2017, of 242.

Burnt area
42,337ha
official perimeter (CWFIS)
Duration
76days
3 Jun 2017 – 17 Aug 2017
Census subdivisions hit
1
municipalities
Started on
3 Jun
2017
Heat detections
7,006
in a single hotspot: 371 MW
Danger at start
15
Moderate · FWI index
Average daily power
4.2GW
detected power per day, on average

Where it burned

HOTSPOTS BY DAY 3 Jun17 Aug
17 Aug 2017

How it evolved, day by day

8 Jun 2017 · 2 MW · 1 18 Jul 2017 · 37 MW · 4 20 Jul 2017 · 199 MW · 4 22 Jul 2017 · 129 MW · 15 23 Jul 2017 · 6 MW · 4 24 Jul 2017 · 26 MW · 5 26 Jul 2017 · 70 MW · 11 27 Jul 2017 · 3,721 MW · 99 28 Jul 2017 · 80 MW · 35 29 Jul 2017 · 57 MW · 8 30 Jul 2017 · 95 MW · 16 1 Aug 2017 · 1 MW · 1 2 Aug 2017 · 36 MW · 8 3 Aug 2017 · 684 MW · 44 4 Aug 2017 · 524 MW · 95 5 Aug 2017 · 4,890 MW · 176 6 Aug 2017 · 106 MW · 60 7 Aug 2017 · 55 MW · 28 8 Aug 2017 · 1,445 MW · 80 9 Aug 2017 · 623 MW · 128 10 Aug 2017 · 1,002 MW · 82 11 Aug 2017 · 30,865 MW · 565 12 Aug 2017 · 37,014 MW · 2204 13 Aug 2017 · 24,788 MW · 1650 14 Aug 2017 · 11,459 MW · 1589 15 Aug 2017 · 153 MW · 49 16 Aug 2017 · 44 MW · 35 17 Aug 2017 · 114 MW · 10
8 Jun 26 Jul 2 Aug 12 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

33°high
69km/h · peak gust
15%lowest humidity

It had gone one day without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 1.5 mm on 18 Aug.

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 27% of the area of London (423 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. Region 5, Unorganized where it started
    40,905 ha reached on 8 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 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)
3 Jun 19.3 °C 51 % 37 km/h 0.7 mm Moderate 15
4 Jun 23.5 °C 16 % 38 km/h 0.6 mm High 27
5 Jun 21.0 °C 33 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm High 26
6 Jun 23.4 °C 23 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm High 26
7 Jun 25.3 °C 24 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm High 25
8 Jun 27.5 °C 18 % 44 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 38
9 Jun 18.5 °C 25 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm High 32
10 Jun 15.8 °C 38 % 69 km/h 4.4 mm High 29
11 Jun 10.7 °C 37 % 53 km/h 0.0 mm Low 7
12 Jun 16.4 °C 33 % 41 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
13 Jun 17.3 °C 51 % 45 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 16
14 Jun 17.6 °C 27 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 21
15 Jun 15.7 °C 45 % 30 km/h 0.7 mm Moderate 18
16 Jun 22.7 °C 34 % 49 km/h 2.1 mm Low 9
17 Jun 20.7 °C 34 % 34 km/h 3.8 mm Very low 0
18 Jun 22.4 °C 25 % 24 km/h 0.9 mm Low 5
19 Jun 23.2 °C 30 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
20 Jun 24.8 °C 24 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm High 30
21 Jun 17.8 °C 46 % 60 km/h 0.0 mm High 36
22 Jun 17.5 °C 25 % 41 km/h 0.0 mm High 25
23 Jun 20.7 °C 28 % 42 km/h 0.0 mm High 26
24 Jun 23.3 °C 20 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm High 21
25 Jun 27.4 °C 15 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 38
26 Jun 27.3 °C 30 % 48 km/h 1.1 mm Very high 39
27 Jun 25.3 °C 30 % 47 km/h 3.7 mm Low 7
28 Jun 23.9 °C 29 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
29 Jun 23.3 °C 39 % 32 km/h 0.5 mm High 22
30 Jun 25.2 °C 25 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm High 29
1 Jul 24.2 °C 41 % 36 km/h 0.7 mm High 28
2 Jul 27.1 °C 45 % 36 km/h 2.2 mm Moderate 18
3 Jul 22.8 °C 48 % 28 km/h 9.3 mm Very low 5
4 Jul 14.5 °C 88 % 44 km/h 12.5 mm Very low 0
5 Jul 21.4 °C 71 % 27 km/h 14.8 mm Very low 0
6 Jul 25.5 °C 37 % 24 km/h 0.2 mm Very low 0
7 Jul 28.3 °C 32 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Low 7
8 Jul 29.6 °C 32 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
9 Jul 29.2 °C 34 % 21 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
10 Jul 25.9 °C 47 % 29 km/h 0.9 mm Moderate 14
11 Jul 25.2 °C 48 % 36 km/h 2.3 mm Low 8
12 Jul 24.4 °C 42 % 21 km/h 0.3 mm Very low 4
13 Jul 23.3 °C 48 % 42 km/h 0.3 mm Low 9
14 Jul 22.2 °C 31 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
15 Jul 25.8 °C 40 % 36 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 19
16 Jul 22.2 °C 54 % 41 km/h 3.2 mm Moderate 17
17 Jul 13.1 °C 46 % 48 km/h 0.3 mm Very low 5
18 Jul 19.5 °C 28 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 11
19 Jul 19.4 °C 33 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 17
20 Jul 22.7 °C 23 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm High 22
21 Jul 25.0 °C 40 % 32 km/h 0.4 mm Moderate 18
22 Jul 27.7 °C 30 % 38 km/h 0.5 mm High 24
23 Jul 17.5 °C 53 % 28 km/h 0.5 mm Moderate 14
24 Jul 25.4 °C 29 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 18
25 Jul 25.4 °C 44 % 26 km/h 0.6 mm Moderate 15
26 Jul 28.1 °C 43 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 20
27 Jul 28.3 °C 32 % 43 km/h 0.9 mm High 29
28 Jul 17.9 °C 63 % 47 km/h 0.6 mm Low 11
29 Jul 18.6 °C 40 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Low 10
30 Jul 21.8 °C 54 % 33 km/h 7.5 mm Moderate 15
31 Jul 22.8 °C 33 % 37 km/h 5.8 mm Very low 3
1 Aug 24.7 °C 32 % 20 km/h 0.0 mm Low 9
2 Aug 27.1 °C 26 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm High 22
3 Aug 26.7 °C 39 % 24 km/h 1.8 mm Moderate 19
4 Aug 27.0 °C 31 % 11 km/h 0.0 mm Low 6
5 Aug 25.9 °C 41 % 41 km/h 4.0 mm High 23
6 Aug 16.7 °C 55 % 35 km/h 0.3 mm Very low 3
7 Aug 22.0 °C 38 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 4
8 Aug 26.7 °C 31 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 14
9 Aug 28.7 °C 28 % 16 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 15
10 Aug 30.6 °C 25 % 18 km/h 0.0 mm Moderate 20
11 Aug 32.8 °C 20 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm High 36
12 Aug 30.9 °C 28 % 48 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 42
13 Aug 31.3 °C 24 % 46 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 38
14 Aug 29.5 °C 31 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm High 34
15 Aug 19.1 °C 72 % 27 km/h 11.8 mm Very low 0
16 Aug 25.0 °C 29 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Very low 2
17 Aug 24.7 °C 34 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Low 8
18 Aug after 24.8 °C 38 % 37 km/h 1.5 mm Moderate 17

Its twins: fires that started in the same weather

It started with an FWI of 15.4, a minimum humidity of 51% and 1 day without rain. Fires in the area that started in weather like this since 2016: 14.

FWI at the start 15.4
Minimum humidity 51 %
Days without rain 1
this fire chosen twins rest of the area
Almost identicalSimilar

Outlines of the closest twins

Improvement District No. 24 W* fire, July 2023
150,129 ha 111 days FWI 20.3 Min. humidity 51 % 82 km away, in 2023

First rain (1 mm or more) after it ended: 2.8 mm on 21 Oct.

What happened to them

Fires in the area that started in similar weather: 14. With fewer than 15 we give no figures: they would be more noise than signal.

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

1.5 mmfirst rain
18 Augthe day after it ended
69km/h · max. gust

It was considered over on 17 Aug, and on 18 Aug 1.5 mm fell. We do not know whether the rain or the firefighters put it out.

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 · 27 May 2017
After · 24 Aug 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 · 7,006Every 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 Region 5, Unorganized fire last?
According to the heat detections seen by satellite inside the perimeter, it burned from 3 June 2017 to 17 August 2017 (76 days). The perimeter dates it from 3 June 2017 to 16 August 2017.
How much area did it burn?
The official perimeter mapped by Canada’s CWFIS (Natural Resources Canada) is 42,337 hectares (423.4 km²). Other tallies, such as those of provincial agencies, may give slightly different figures.
Which census subdivisions burned?
The fire only entered Region 5, Unorganized (40,905 ha, 0.2 %).
What was the weather like?
During the fire the temperature reached 32.8 °C, humidity dropped to 15 % and gusts hit 69 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 42, 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

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; 2 polygons grouped in this page.
  • Dates adjusted with the VIIRS detections inside the perimeter, which said 3 June 2017 to 16 August 2017. 7,006 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.