Alberta experiences a rare wildfire-free August after record-breaking rainfall
This year's record-setting rainfall has smothered the wildfire risk in Alberta
Significant rainfall during June and July across Alberta has delivered unprecedented results: no active wildfires were reported throughout August for the first time in 40 years.
Alberta's wildfire season has been significantly eased by above-average soil moisture levels, thanks to prolonged wet conditions caused by a stalled low pressure system earlier in the summer.
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Edmonton recorded 562 mm of rainfall this summer, more than double the seasonal average of 213 mm, making it the wettest summer on record. This substantial moisture, combined with a lack of prolonged heatwaves, has helped keep temperatures close to seasonal norms, reducing the risk of fires across most of the province.
So far this year, only 18,300 hectares of land have burned in Alberta—the result of 691 reported wildfires, some of which were carryover fires from earlier in the season. Most regions of the province remain free of dry conditions.
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Looking ahead, temperatures above seasonal norms will continue across southern Alberta through the final week of August. However, a cooling trend is expected during the first week of September as the heat shifts further east into Central Canada.
Stay tuned for a full September outlook in the coming days.