Alberta, Canada, wildfires show no sign of slowing, experts say (2023)

FAQs

Are wildfires getting worse because of climate change? ›

As global temperatures rise, we expect the size, frequency and severity of wildfires to increase in the years ahead. Already, the average wildfire season in the western U.S. is over three months longer than it was a few decades back.

The drier the soil, the more likely it is for wildfires to start and burn longer. 2) Not every year will experience the same amount of wildfires and wildfires won't progressively get worse from year to year because of natural weather cycles like El Niño.

In total, the Fort McMurray fires burned approximately 579,767 hectares of land causing the evacuation of over 90,000 people and destroyed 2,400 homes and business, including 530 other buildings that were damaged.

Preventable wildfires threaten lives, property, and our precious natural resources. Whether it is properly extinguishing a campfire or keeping your vehicle maintained to prevent sparks, following just a few simple steps can help prevent wildfires.

Unfortunately, yes. Changes in our climate, along with other factors, have led to wildfires increasing in intensity, severity, size and duration.

1. California, Washington, and Oregon – United States.

According to federal data cited by the National Park Service, humans cause about 85 percent of all wildfires yearly in the United States.

Wildfires can disrupt transportation, communications, power and gas services, and water supply. They also lead to a deterioration of the air quality, and loss of property, crops, resources, animals and people.

"If we lose forests through increased fire and limited regeneration, this could result in more carbon in the atmosphere," says John Abatzoglou, a climatologist at the University of Idaho in Moscow who was not associated with the study. This, in turn, may further change climate and reshape the landscape, he says.

Even though lightning was a factor in the recent uptick of wildfires across Alberta, “many of the wildfires so far this season have been human caused. That could be from anything ranging from sparks created by trains to people being careless where they throw their cigarettes butts,” explained Lang.

What forest fire killed the most people? ›

The 1871 Peshtigo Fire, Wisconsin

The blaze started on October 8 1871 and burned around 1.2 million acres. At least 1 152 people were killed, making this the worst fire that claimed more lives than any of the other wildfires in US history.

Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to smoke exposure. Emissions from wildfires are known to cause increased visits to hospitals and clinics by those exposed to smoke.

Prescribed burning is not effective in limiting the spread of wildfires under the conditions that burn the largest amount of land and cause the most home losses. Native shrublands are being burned too frequently because of human ignited wildfires.

In many ecosystems, wildfires are nature's way of regenerating the earth, allowing important nutrients to re-enter the soil, and creating new habitats for plants and animals to thrive. However, if wildfires burn for too long, ecosystems can struggle to recover.

California is the most wildfire-prone state in the United States.

Firefighters control a fire's spread (or put it out) by removing one of the three ingredients fire needs to burn: heat, oxygen, or fuel. They remove heat by applying water or fire retardant on the ground (using pumps or special wildland fire engines) or by air (using helicopters/airplanes).

Frequently asked questions. Which state has the most wildfires? The state of California sees the most wildfires than any other state in the U.S. In 2021, over 2.5 million acres burned in the Golden State, as well as 3,629 structures.

On October 8, 1871, the most devastating forest fire in American history swept through northeast Wisconsin, claiming 1200+ lives. [For more about the Peshtigo fire, click here.]

The biggest wildfire in recorded US history is the 1825 Miramichi Fire. It blazed through an estimated 3,000,000 million acres and claimed at least 160 lives. That makes it not just one of the most widespread fires, but also one of the deadliest.

How do wildfires start without humans? ›

Wildfires can start with a natural occurrence—such as a lightning strike—or a human-made spark. However, it is often the weather conditions that determine how much a wildfire grows. Wind, high temperatures, and little rainfall can all leave trees, shrubs, fallen leaves, and limbs dried out and primed to fuel a fire.

The four weather elements responsible for either the spread of fire or natural wildfire suppression include temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and wind speed. Specifically, a significant decrease in wind speed and an increase in relative humidity are the two primary factors of how wildfires stop naturally.

The majority of wildfires are started by humans, but there are two ways that wildfires can ignite independently.

Results of the 60-year simulations show that under increased drought and rising temperatures, the large wildfires will continue for about a decade, followed by recurring wildfires that occur in warm and dry conditions, but are smaller over time.

Controlled burns can minimize insects and disease and improve the habitat for threatened and endangered animal species. Prescribed burns provide key nutrients to soil, which help trees and vegetation flourish. These controlled forest fires also open up the tree canopy to allow sunlight into the forest.

Much of the U.S. landscape is expected to face increased wildfire risk as droughts intensify. However, California and other western states could experience a greater degree of vulnerability due to decades of fire suppression.

Depending on the severity of the wildfire, a forest may recover quickly. (The low-intensity “prescribed fires” used by forest managers, for example, are intended to add nutrients to the soil and rejuvenate plant life.) For larger, more destructive wildfires, active efforts to assist recovery are often needed.

A homeowners insurance policy will cover damage from fire, including wildfire. If your house is damaged by a fire, the policy has several coverage types to help repair or rebuild the home, replace belongings and, if necessary, pay for temporary housing if you can't live in the home.

No Active Wildfires

The Government of Alberta assumes no responsibility for the discrepancies at time of use.

What is the main cause of wildfires in Canada? ›

Lightning activity causes approximately 60% of all wildfires every season.

Almost all of the current fires are believed to have been sparked by natural causes, after record spring heat and well below average rainfall in the areas affected. Climate change is also a key factor, according to Canada's Meteorological Agency Environment Canada.

Many ecosystems benefit from periodic fires, because they clear out dead organic material—and some plant and animal populations require the benefits fire brings to survive and reproduce.

In the last three years, Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Utah have had the most acres burned by wildfires. Lightning is the leading cause of wildfires in California, Texas, and Utah. Statistically, these sources cause wildfires in these states more than any other state: Colorado—Arson.

Humans and Wildfire

Nearly 85 percent* of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson.

It damages our health, our crops, our property and our environment. In neighborhoods everywhere across California, residential wood burning is a growing source of air pollution. Most wood heaters, such as woodstoves and fireplaces, release far more air pollution, indoors and out, than heaters using other fuels.

Florida has experienced fires on a cycle of every three to five years since vegetation has crowded its shores and since lightning has lit its skies.

Prior to European colonization of the Americas, indigenous peoples used controlled burns to modify the landscape. The controlled fires were part of the environmental cycles and maintenance of wildlife habitats that sustained the cultures and economies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

A progressive system of building a fireline on a wildfire without changing relative positions in the line. Each worker does one to several "licks", or strokes, with a given tool and then moves forward a specified distance to make room for the worker behind.

What does one foot in the black mean? ›

A major advantage of direct attack is firefighter safety. Firefighters can usually escape back into the burned area for a safety zone. This is known as “keeping one foot in the black.” Parallel attack is made by constructing a fireline parallel to, but further from, the fire edge than in direct attack (see Figure 4).

Remove heat by applying water, dirt, retardant, or a combination of these. Cooling the fire with water or Class A foam is one of the most common and effective fire extinguishing methods.

When fire destroys the landscape, it also destroys the homes of many animals. Loss or contamination of shelter, water, and food are the immediate effects on wildlife following a fire. As such, animals are forced to move elsewhere in search of sustenance and new territory.

Soil fertility can increase after low intensity fires since fire chemically converts nutrients bound in dead plant tissues and the soil surface to more available forms or the fire indirectly increases mineralization rates through its impacts on soil microorganisms (Schoch and Binkley 1986).

From North Carolina to California, much of the United States is expected to face increased wildfire risk as rising greenhouse gas emissions bring warmer temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns.

Every year, there are an estimated 340,000 premature deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular issues attributed to wildfire smoke. The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires pose a growing threat to biodiversity globally. Individuals, companies and public authorities also bear great economic costs.

Naturally occurring wildfires are most frequently caused by lightning. There are also volcanic, meteor, and coal-seam fires, depending on the circumstances. Human caused wildfires can be accidental, intentional (arson), or from an act of negligence.

With increasing global surface temperatures the possibility of more droughts and increased intensity of storms will likely occur. As more water vapor is evaporated into the atmosphere it becomes fuel for more powerful storms to develop.

The extent of area burned by wildfires each year appears to have increased since the 1980s.

In order to put out a fire, fuel, heat, or oxygen must be removed. A good rain or a natural barrier can be enough for a wildfire to stop naturally. If this fails, a professional team of firefighters will step in to fight the fire, responding to many sides of the triangle simultaneously.

How can a wildfire be stopped? ›

Firefighters control a fire's spread (or put it out) by removing one of the three ingredients fire needs to burn: heat, oxygen, or fuel. They remove heat by applying water or fire retardant on the ground (using pumps or special wildland fire engines) or by air (using helicopters/airplanes).

Fire is part of a cycle in most ecosystems. It reduces dead vegetation, stimulates new growth, and improves habitat for wildlife, many of the details park visitors imagine when they think of a national park.

Chad. Chad ranks as the world's most climate-vulnerable country on the Notre Dame-Global Adaptation Initiative Index, which examines a country's exposure, sensitivity and capacity to adapt to the negative effects of climate change.

These disasters are caused by many factors ranging from global warming, shifts in tectonic plates, changes in atmospheric pressure and poor city planning.

With the way the world is heading, expect a disaster a day by 2030, according to the UN. Climate change, the global pandemic and political destabilization are putting the world on a course toward daily catastrophe, according to a new United Nations report.