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Wildfire near Area J (West Chilcotin)

Active · 5,143 ha (12,710 acres) · started 2026-07-17 · updated 2026-08-03

Wildfire near Area J (West Chilcotin) — Sentinel-2 true color Wildfire near Area J (West Chilcotin) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego) True color Fire (SWIR)
True color (left): as the eye sees it.
Infrared / SWIR (right): sees through smoke.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 red/brown = burned
🟠 orange = active fire

Imagery: Sentinel-2 (Copernicus). Drag to compare smoke vs. infrared.

Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).

Burning near Area J (West Chilcotin) in British Columbia, an active wildfire has expanded to cover 5,143 ha (12,710 acres) over 17 days since it started on 2026-07-17. The fire has maintained an average daily growth of approximately 303 ha/day within a region where the typical fire season runs from May to September.

This incident unfolds against a broader national backdrop where 2,080,649 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 51% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in British Columbia for 17 days. So far it has affected roughly 5,143 ha (12,710 acres) — about 51 km².

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.

The bigger picture in Canada

Across Canada, roughly 2,080,649 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 51% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

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