Monitoring the North American wildfires – an update from the RAL Space Remote Sensing group, Dr Brian Kerridge and Dr Simon Proud.

We are working with the National Centre for Earth Observation to monitor the effects of an "extraordinary" heatwave across parts of North America in late June that helped fuel extensive wildfires.

New wildfires have continued to ignite, with the British Colombia Wildfire Service currently monitoring over 200 active fires.

On 30th June, a fire near Lytton, in Canada, forced the evacuation of the village, which has now been completely destroyed.

These fires have been so powerful, they triggered so-called Pyro-Cumulonimbus, massive thunderstorms that, according to our data, were over 16km (52,000ft) high. This video shows smoke drifting north, followed by sudden growth of the storm clouds.

The fires also produced large amounts of air polluting gases like carbon monoxide, methanol and ammonia, which the storms lofted high into the stratosphere. Our Infrared and Microwave Scheme is tracking these air polluting gases as they across North America. 

Ammonia levels over western Canada on 01 July 2021. Image credit: STFC RAL Space. Data: Eumetsat.

Carbon monoxide over North America on 01 July 2021. Image credit: STFC RAL Space. Data: Eumetsat.

On 02 July 2021 wildfire patterns and cloud occurrence had changed. This image shows the spread of methanol across North America. Image credit: STFC RAL Space. Data: Eumetsat.