Since mid-May, NOAA satellites have been closely monitoring heat signatures and thick plumes of smoke (some stretching thousands of miles) from wildfires burning across Canada. Driven by heat, drought, and dry conditions, more than 160 fires kicked off the country’s wildfire season, primarily in Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. More blazes soon erupted in other provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The escalating situation forced thousands to evacuate, prompted states of emergency in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and has been impacting air quality in the United States as the smoke drifts southward.
Wildfires are a natural part of Canada’s boreal forests, which consist primarily of coniferous trees in high-latitude regions. However, as global temperatures continue to rise, wildfires in these regions are becoming more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. The 2023 Canadian wildfire season was the most destructive on record, and the 2024 wildfire season ranked among the worst. By 2025, some “zombie” fires in Alberta and British Columbia had continued to smolder under the snow, persisting for more than two years. This year, as of June 5, 2025, there have been 1,746 fires throughout the country and 2.6 million hectares (roughly 6.4 million acres/10,000 square miles) have been consumed—an area larger than Vermont.
Fires often result from a combination of natural and human causes. While lightning is a common natural trigger, many of this year’s fires have been attributed to human activity, though it's unclear how many were accidental. Additionally, meteorologists are warning that strong winds and dry conditions may cause the situation to get worse as Canada’s wildfire season, which runs from May through September, continues.
The worsening conditions in Canada have also impacted the United States. As the smoke drifted southward, the National Weather Service issued air quality warnings across the Upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Since then, the smoke has affected air quality as far south as Florida. On June 1, air quality reached “unhealthy” levels in North Dakota and parts of Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota. By June 3 and 4, air quality over parts of Michigan also reached “unhealthy” levels, while Minnesota reached “very unhealthy” levels. In addition, much of the East Coast experienced moderate air quality conditions this week.
Along with widespread smoke impacts, NOAA satellites have also seen other phenomena associated with the wildfires. For example, the GOES West (GOES-18) satellite captured the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which billowed from wildfires in Alberta, Canada. These are thunderstorms that can form above wildfires or volcanic eruptions due to intense heat and rising smoke.
In an era of increasingly severe wildfires, NOAA satellites provide indispensable tools for protecting communities and managing natural disasters. Their data offers insights into fire dynamics, including location, duration, size, temperature, and power, as well as smoke dispersion, improving air quality forecasts and aiding firefighting efforts. Timely satellite imagery is critical, life-saving information in a dynamic fire environment.