Alberta, Canada – Extreme heat, dry conditions, and high winds have fueled out-of-control wildfires across multiple provinces in Canada, triggering mass evacuations and worsening air quality throughout the region. Satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 on May 30 captured a massive plume of smoke and a towering pyrocumulonimbus cloud roughly 40 km west of #ChipewyanLake, marking the intensity of the ongoing Alberta wildfire.
Since Friday morning, more than 50 wildfires have erupted across Alberta alone, with nearly 30 burning out of control. The current wildfire season, which typically spans from May to September, has already forced over 25,000 residents to flee their homes.
The hardest-hit province so far is Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week. Approximately 17,000 people were evacuated from the province on Saturday, May 31, alongside 1,300 evacuees from Alberta and another 8,000 from Saskatchewan. Thick smoke from the wildfires has severely impacted air quality and visibility across Canada and into several U.S. states along the border.
“Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate quickly and vary significantly from hour to hour,” the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency stated on Sunday, June 1, as reported by the Associated Press. “As smoke levels rise, so does the health risk.”
The fires have pushed resources to their limits. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe confirmed that emergency responders, firefighters, and aircraft from other Canadian provinces and U.S. states including Alaska, Oregon, and Arizona have been deployed to assist.
“We are truly grateful, and we are stronger because of your support,” Moe said in a public post. He also warned that hot and dry conditions are allowing fires to continue spreading rapidly. “The next 4 to 7 days are critical until we find a shift in weather patterns and hopefully see heavy rain across the north.”
In northern Manitoba, more than 5,000 evacuees came from the town of Flin Flon, located around 645 km northwest of Winnipeg. A fire that started a week earlier near Creighton, Saskatchewan, quickly spread into Manitoba, threatening Flin Flon. Emergency crews have struggled to contain the blaze, and thick smoke has grounded water bomber aircraft. About 600 residents were evacuated from Cranberry Portage, where wildfires also disrupted power lines.
Evacuation centers have been established across Manitoba, with the city of Winnipeg opening public buildings to evacuees after hotels filled with wildfire victims, tourists, business travelers, and convention attendees. Indigenous leaders are calling on the government to prioritize displaced residents in the limited accommodations available.
“This is the largest evacuation due to wildfires we’ve seen since the 1990s,” said Kyra Wilson, Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. “It’s heartbreaking to see children sleeping on floors. People are waiting in hallways, waiting outside. Right now, we need everyone to come together. We are exhausted.”
Back in Alberta, wildfire officials continue to battle erratic and extreme fire behavior. The development of pyrocumulonimbus clouds—massive fire-generated storm systems capable of producing lightning and high winds—has added further complexity to the already dangerous situation. These clouds not only drive fire spread but also pose risks to aviation and ground crews alike.
With Canada still early in its wildfire season, experts fear that 2024 could rival or even surpass the historic devastation seen in 2023, which was the country’s worst fire season on record.
Hashtags like #Alberta, #Wildfire, and #Sentinel2 are trending as the public shares real-time updates, satellite images, and safety alerts. Emergency services urge residents in at-risk areas to remain alert and heed evacuation orders promptly.