High Aerosol Index from Canadian Wildfires

High aerosol index values due to large wildfires in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are visible in this true-color corrected reflectance image overlaid with aerosol index (high values are in shades of red). The visualizations are derived from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) aboard the Suomi National Polar orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) platform. Click on the decrement date arrow in the lower left corner to see the differences in aerosol index between May 24 and 29, 2025.

Persistent drought over the past few years combined with unusually hot conditions have caused these fires to start so early in the season. The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, respectively, and Manitoba has evacuated 17,000 people thus far.

Click on the "Play" button on the map above to see the spread and growth of the fires (shown as red dots on the map) and movement of the smoke between May 24 to 29. Click on the icon in the upper right corner to open the map in the fully featured version of Worldview.

For more detailed information about the individual fires, visit the FIRMS US/Canada map.

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