Alberta smashes annual wildland burned record in mid-June

Connor O'DonovanVideo Journalist
Published on Jun. 13, 2023

As thousands continue to flee Alberta’s wildfires, the province has reached a grim wildfire season milestone. As of June 12, over 1.4 million hectares have been burned across the province. The Weather Network's Connor O'Donovan has the details.

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As thousands continue to flee Alberta’s wildfires, the province has reached a grim wildfire season milestone.

As of June 12, over 1.4 million hectares have been burned in Alberta.

That’s the most wildland area ever burned in one year in the province, a wildfire service official confirmed, and it’s still spring.

In 1981, according to provincial data, 1.36 million hectares burned.

"This is the most active spring that we have on record. And yes, this is the most hectares we’ve seen burned," said Alberta Wildfire Service Information Officer Kai Bowering.

"May is already one of the most active times for wildfires because of the dry fuels. Then we saw unseasonably warm temperatures this May, and mixing those two together created this unprecedented situation."

The ten year average for annual hectares burned is under 220,000.

As of June 12, the Alberta Wildfire Service had recorded 633 wildfires this year. The five-year average for detected wildfires at this time of year in Alberta is 486.

Alberta currently has more than 2,800 wildland firefighters responding, including 1,100 from other jurisdictions. Firefighters have come from other North American countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

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400 members of the Canadian Armed Forces have also been sent to help Alberta manage its wildfire situation. Heavy equipment, helicopters, and air tankers are being used to fight the fires.

Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services declined a request for information regarding assessed infrastructure and building damage, but noted that around 35,000 Albertans have been displaced so far and that over 14,000 remain on evacuation orders.

Header image credit: Alberta Wildfire Service/Twitter