GFMC: Forest Fires in Canada, 18 July 2000
18 July 2000
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) distributes timely information about forest fires in Canada. The current fire situation for 17 July 2000 can be summarized as follows:
over the last 24 hours: 48 fires for 1,133 ha season summary: 2,767 fires for 119,781 hectares
According to the National Forest Fire Situation Report of 12 July 2000 (updated every Friday), fire activity increased above normal this week, with a large number of small fires in the Northwest Territories. Area burned remains less than 10% of normal, due to continuing wet weather in much of the country. High risk continues in the northwest, with moderate risk in parts of Ontario and Quebec.
Number and area of forest fires in Canada, as of 12 July 2000
current uncontrolled controlled active modified 15 86 88 2000
(to date) 10-year
average in %
of normal Prescribed
burning Number 2,630 4,576 57% 36 Area (ha) 113,722 1,240,274 9% 7,765
The Fire Monitoring, Mapping, and Modelling (FireM3) is a collaboration of the Canadian Forest Service and the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. Through the Map Link at the FireM3 web site you can access daily hotspot images. An Internet Map Server, which is like a simple GIS running on the host computer, allows you to zoom in on any fire or other area of interest and view the image and map data at full (1km) resolution. You can also click on any fire and get information about that fire.
Satellite image, daily fire overview map and season-to-date hotspot map for 16 July 2000
(Source: FireM3)
A satellite image showing hotspots from more than a dozen fires in Northwest
Territories and Saskatchewan on 16 July 2000. Smoke plumes were detected using
a CCRS algorithm and are enhanced to appear yellow.
(Source: FireM3)
The Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System is a part of the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System and consists of six components that account for the effects of fuel moisture and wind on fire behavior. The first three components are fuel moisture codes and are numerical ratings of the moisture content of litter and other fine fuels, the average moisture contentof loosely compacted organic layers of moderate depth, and the average moisture content of deep, compact organic layers. The remaining three components are fire behavior indexes which represent the rate of fire spread, the fuel available for combustion, and the frontal fire intensity; their values rise as the fire danger increases. For futher information please see the Summary Information.
The latest available images are shown below (14 July 2000):
Fine Fuel Moisture Code 
Duff Moisture Code 
Drought Code 
Initial Spread Index 
Buildup Index 
Fire Weather Index 
Fire Danger Rating
The Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System is an other part of the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System and provides quantitative estimates of head fire spread rate, fuel consumption, fire intensity, and fire description. With the aid of an elliptical fire growth model, it gives estimates of fire area, perimeter, perimeter growth rate, and flank and back fire behavior. For futher information please see the Summary Information.
The latest available images are shown below (14 July 2000):
Foliar Moisture Content 
Surface Fuel Consumption 
Rate of Spread 
Total Fuel Consumption 
Head Fire Intensity 
Fire Type
The Saskatchewan Daily Forest Fire Situation Report (17 July 2000) is listing all forest fires currently burning in Saskatchewan and their current status. This report also gives statistics on the total number of fires to date. The whole report and further information can be accessed at the fire management website of “Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management” (SERM).
fires burning in the province today: 18 extinguished in the past 24 hours: 1 new fires: 3 total number of fires to date this year: 309 total up to this date last year: 398 five year average for this date: 488
The International Crown Fire Modelling Experiment (ICFME) in Fort Providence, Northwest Territories/Canada, ended with its final chapter, Phase IV, on 1 July 2000. During the experimental phases a special ICFME website was updated daily. A new archive about
- 2000 daily updates
- a list of fire research and operational people and
- social hi-lites from Ft. Providence during the experiment
was updated (15 July 2000) on the ICFME website. The experiment has been also described in the International Forest Fire News (IFFN) No. 21 (September 1999).
The experimental site, 40 km north of Fort Providence, Northwest Territories/Canada.
Depending on the wind direction and wind speed, the plots were ignited with a terra torch truck on one side of the plot.
The 150*150 m sized plots (2.25 ha) burned with a speed of 20-40 m/min.
(Source: GFMC)
British Columbia Forest Service Wildfire Report (13 July 2000):
Vigorous wildfire burning between Twin Lakes and Keremeos
B.C. Forest Service fire crews are fighting a two-hectare wildfire burning vigorously just off Highway 3A between Twin Lakes and Keremeos. An air tanker is overhead and a helicopter is bucketing the fire. Nineteen initial attack crew members are on site. Equipment and crews were immediately deployed when the fire was reported at 10:11 this morning. The fire is burning 0.5 kilometres away from two houses, and crews are building a fireguard between the fire and the homes. Forty km/h winds fanned the fire into the grass, brush and open timber. The cause of the fire is under investigation. High winds in dry conditions are making containment efforts more difficult. Although crews are confident at this time, a change in wind speed or direction can make the difference between early containment or the explosive spread of a wildfire.
Wildfire Statistics Report, 17 July 2000
Number of Fires Burning: 62 Number of New Fires (Lightning): 2 Number of New Fires (Human Caused): 2 Total Lightning Fires: 136 Total Human Caused Fires: 349 Total Fires to Date: 485 Total Area Burned (ha): 12,382
Fire Danger Rating for British Columbia, 17 July 2000.
(Source: British Columbia Forest Service)
