Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Wednesday, June 04, 2025

Massive Wildfire Outbreak in Western Canada - June 4th Update

Direct link to June 3rd video from CTV News on YouTube

I suspect that many of you are aware of the massive wildfire outbreak in Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Western Canada. I first wrote about this outbreak on May 30th. Thousands of people have been evacuated and equipment and resources are stretched thin, requests for additional firefighters and equipment from outside Canada have been made. Smoke from these fires is going into the United States with many National Weather Service offices putting out air quality alerts, see this article from EarthSky. In the map below from the National Weather Service (June 4th at 4:15 PM EDT) air quality alerts are in grey.

I am embedding some videos describing the pleas for international assistance, and drivers left stranded in Manitoba. You also might want to read this May 31st article on Wildfire Today and a June 4th report from CBS News