GFMC: Forest Fires in Canada, 31 August 2000
31 August 2000
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) distributes timely information about forest fires in Canada. The current fire situation for 30 August 2000 can be summarized as follows:
over the last 24 hours: 9 new fires for 208 hectares season summary: 4,959 fires for 539,757 hectares
According to the National Forest Fire Situation Report of 23 August 2000 (updated every Friday), that rain and cooler weather across much of the country reduced the area burned this past week. The number of fires was near normal for this time of year, but the area burned was very small. Risk is low across most of the country due to rain over the past week expected to continue in moist regions for the next few days.
Number and area of forest fires in Canada, as of 23 August 2000
current uncontrolled controlled active modified 3 362 123 2000
(to date) 10-year
average in %
of normal Prescribed
burning Number 4,826 7,417 65% 41 Area (ha) 530,358 2,317,702 23% 7,881
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 (1 km) resolution. You can also click on any fire and get information about that fire.
The satellite image, the daily fire overview map and the season-to-date
hotspot map for 30 August 2000 display the current significant fire events
(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 (30 August 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 (30 August 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 (30 August 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: 7 extinguished in the past 24 hours: 3 new fires: 2 total number of fires to date this year: 395 total up to this date last year: 720 five year average for this date: 677
British Columbia Forest Service Wildfire Report (29 August 2000):
Change in weather helps firefighters
VICTORIA The arrival of cooler weather has helped firefighters in their efforts tosuppress most of the fires currently burning in the province. All larger fires are reported to be controlled, contained or in the mop-up stage.
Firefighters from the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Alberta are returning home this week. Forty-one firefighters from Manitoba are remaining in B.C.
The area command centre in Cranbrook is in the process of demobilization as staff and firefighting crews are being downsized.
B.C. Forest Service officials are assessing a request by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Winnipeg for possible out-of-province deployment of B.C. crews in the U.S.
The Forest Service continues to monitor wildfires burning in Idaho and Montana. Two have been burning close to the Canada/U.S. border, but there is no immediate threat of these fires crossing into B.C.
There have been 1,481 wildfires reported in the province to date this year. Of this total, 941 were caused by lightning and 540 were caused by people. This compares with a provincial total of 997 fires at the same time last year. The 10-year average for number of fires reported at this time is 1,642. This year fires damaged almost 16,400 hectares compared with 7,703 last year. The annual average for hectares burned in the province is 29,000. The total cost to date to suppress these fires is $38.6 million compared with an eight-year average of $42.1 million at this time.
Wildfire Statistics Report, 30 August 2000
Number of Fires Burning: 279 Number of New Fires (Lightning): 0 Number of New Fires (Human Caused): 3 Total Lightning Fires: 949 Total Human Caused Fires: 532 Total Fires to Date: 1,481 Total Area Burned (ha): 16,168
Fire Danger Rating for British Columbia, 30 August 2000.
(Source: British Columbia Forest Service)
