Wildfire near Behchokǫ̀
True color
Fire (SWIR)
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 Behchokǫ̀ in the Northwest Territories, an active wildfire has maintained a steady and persistent trajectory over nearly seven weeks. Having ignited on July 4, 2026, the blaze has consumed 47,000 hectares, translating to approximately 116,139 acres. Over its 49 days of burning, the fire has maintained an average daily growth of roughly 959 hectares per day, continuously expanding its footprint across the landscape.
Operational satellite monitoring reveals extensive activity surrounding the incident, with NASA FIRMS detecting 128 heat signatures in the immediate area over a recent 48-hour window, illustrating the sprawling extent of the active fire zone. This event unfolds within the region's typical fire season, which spans from May to September.
The wider context of the 2026 season reveals a broader national picture. Across the country, 2,419,284 hectares have burned so far this year, tracking 43 percent below the two-decade average.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in Northwest Territories for 64 days. So far it has affected roughly 47,000 ha (116,139 acres) — about 470 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 2,600,107 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 39% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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