Images
May 31, 2026 - Large Blaze in Wood Buffalo National Park
Tweet
On May 28, 2026, the Emergency Management Minister of Canada was quoted as saying that wildfire danger was growing across the country, with 65 active fires listed as “out of control”. The total area burned to day had reached more than 18,935 hectares. The largest of all the fires was a fire in Wood Buffalo National Park, which had burnt across more than 13,000 hectares by that date. By May 30, that fire had expanded to 35,288 hectares, with reports that it was approaching the nesting grounds of the rarest crane in North America – the Whooping Crane. It was still listed as “out of control” and the fire danger in Wood Buffalo National Park remains “extreme”.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the fires in Wood Buffalo National Park on May 28. Heavy gray smoke pours from what appears to be two fires, although it may have been considered a single blaze for firefighting purposes. The fire is close to the Little Buffalo River which can be seen coursing generally on a north-to-south axis. The Great Slave Lake, to the north, remains frozen under a layer of winter ice, evidence that air temperatures have remained generally cool in this region, despite an early start to the fire season.
The International Crane Foundation confirmed that the last remnant Whooping Crane population of about 540 birds breeds in and around Wood Buffalo National Park. They explain that fortunately, the breeding areas have been largely spared thus far, but fires in the area are expanding into some of the breeding areas. Fortunately, the large white birds breed in the wettest and least fire-prone areas of the park, and most are northeast of the major fire activity.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/28/2026
Resolutions:
1km (101.6 KB), 500m (295.9 KB), 250m (623.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On May 28, 2026, the Emergency Management Minister of Canada was quoted as saying that wildfire danger was growing across the country, with 65 active fires listed as “out of control”. The total area burned to day had reached more than 18,935 hectares. The largest of all the fires was a fire in Wood Buffalo National Park, which had burnt across more than 13,000 hectares by that date. By May 30, that fire had expanded to 35,288 hectares, with reports that it was approaching the nesting grounds of the rarest crane in North America – the Whooping Crane. It was still listed as “out of control” and the fire danger in Wood Buffalo National Park remains “extreme”.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the fires in Wood Buffalo National Park on May 28. Heavy gray smoke pours from what appears to be two fires, although it may have been considered a single blaze for firefighting purposes. The fire is close to the Little Buffalo River which can be seen coursing generally on a north-to-south axis. The Great Slave Lake, to the north, remains frozen under a layer of winter ice, evidence that air temperatures have remained generally cool in this region, despite an early start to the fire season.
The International Crane Foundation confirmed that the last remnant Whooping Crane population of about 540 birds breeds in and around Wood Buffalo National Park. They explain that fortunately, the breeding areas have been largely spared thus far, but fires in the area are expanding into some of the breeding areas. Fortunately, the large white birds breed in the wettest and least fire-prone areas of the park, and most are northeast of the major fire activity.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/28/2026
Resolutions:
1km (101.6 KB), 500m (295.9 KB), 250m (623.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
