1) High Level, AB.  12 May 2019 - 18 Aug 2019

• Name: "Chuckegg Creek fire"
• Total burned area: 350,135 ha
• 98 days out of control
• Displaced over 3,000 residents from their homes.
• Weather: strong low-level wind jet
• Worldview satellite imagery: https://go.nasa.gov/3L5Blr5

2) Kimiwan Complex, AB.  5 May 2023 - continued overwinter (2023-2024) as a holdover fire - 25 Oct 2024

• Wildfires PWF-038 and SWF-068 (2023) are part of the Kimiwan Complex that are reported together.
• Wildfire SWF-068 is the largest fire, at 143,039 hectares burned. It is located by the Peavine Metis Settlement. It was classified as "out of control" for over 2 months. As of 6 Aug it was classified as "being held". As of 31 Aug it was classified as "under control" with 97% contained.
• PWF-038 is located approximately 17 km northeast of Three Creeks and 20 km southwest of Simon Lake. It is classified as "under control" at approximately 6,130 hectares.
• There were 130 firefighters, 9 aircraft, and 32 pieces of heavy equipment working on this complex as of 6 Aug 2023.
• Was a crown fire in 2023.  Continued under the snow as a holdover fire into 2024.  Flaired up again in Spring 2024.
• Extinguished 25 Oct 2024.
• Weather in 2023: 3 mid-latitude cyclones.
• Worldview satellite images: https://go.nasa.gov/3R3dP1H
  Worldview Spring Dip: https://go.nasa.gov/3PjQk37

3) Sparks Lake, BC.  June - July 2021

• 15 km North of Kamloops Lake, BC.
• 89,627.0 hectares burned.
• Preceded by historic heat dome.
• Weather: Spawned multiple pyro-thunderstorms with lightning that ignited many more fires.
• Worldview satellite images: https://go.nasa.gov/3YYlLTU
• Earth Observatory summary with photos: Blazes Rage in British Columbia
• GOES satellite loop of pyro-thunderstorms.
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• Capstone Student Presentation sample (thanks to Jalena Bennett)

7) Fort McMurray, AB.  1 May 2016 - 17 Aug 2017

• 589,552 ha burned.
• 88,000 people evacuated.
• Weather: El Niño, hot, dry, windy.
• Worldview satellite images: https://go.nasa.gov/3L19OHm
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• Capstone Student Presentation and Report . 

8) Camp Fire, CA.  8 - 25 Nov 2018

• Paradise, California, USA.
• 153,336 acres burned.
• ignited by faulty electric transmission line
• deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history up to that year.
• 85 civilians died. Destroyed 18,804 structures, most within the first 4 hours. Fought by 5,596 firefighters. US$16.5B insured losses.
• Weather: drought & diablo (extremely fast, hot, downslope mountain) winds.
• Worldview satellite images: https://go.nasa.gov/44yAKVN
• Computer simulations by Coen: spread , and cross-section .
• -----
• Capstone Student  Presentation and Report .

9) Quebec Fire Complex 334.  1 Jun 2023 - Sep 2023

• East of Val d'Or, QB, Canada
• ≈ 481,992 ha burned (so far)
• ignited by lightning and humans, with intense burning thru 7 June 2023.
• second period of intense burning 20 - 25 June 2023.
• dense smoke reaches Montreal and New York City, causing worst air quality in the world.
• Weather: omega block anticyclone and northward moving cyclone.
• Worldview satellite images: https://go.nasa.gov/3L3wUgu
• -----
• Capstone Student Presentation and Report . 

10) Marshall, CO.  30 Dec 2021 - 1 Jan 2022

• Boulder, CO, USA.
• 6,026 acres (≈ 2,440 hectares) burned.
• 1,084 buildings destroyed.
• Weather: Strong downslope mountain winds ahead of a winter cold front that dropped a foot of snow.
• Worldview satellite image: https://go.nasa.gov/47SArbp
• NCAR Simulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVgvjs20vrc
• Aftermath Drone Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK63zjsBl7Q
• -----
• Capstone Student  Presentation and Report . 

11) Palisades, CA.   7 - 31 Jan 2025

• near Los Angeles, California, USA
• 23,448 acres (≈ 9,489 hectares) burned.
• 6,837 buildings destroyed.
• 12 people killed 
• Weather: Santa Ana winds (strong downslope windstorm) after months of drought.
• Ignition: Released footage suggests that the Palisades Fire may have rekindled from the earlier Lachman Fire, which began on 1 Jan 2025 . Experts believe that embers from the earlier fire smoldered unnoticed and reignited amid extreme wind conditions on 7 Jan.  
• -----
• Capstone Student  Presentation and Report . 

12) Jasper, AB.  22 Jul 2024 - 1 Apr 2025

• Near Jasper National Park, AB
• 80,860 acres (≈ 32,722 hectares) burned.
• 358 buildings destroyed.   $ 880M in insurance claims.
  
• Out of control until 7 Sep 2024;  reached Jasper townsite 24 Jul 2024;  extinguished 1 Apr 2025 
• Weather: Strong winds. 
• The firestorm created a fire tornado.
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• Capstone Student  Presentation and Report . 

4) Lahaina, HI.  8 - 9 August 2023

• Located on the west coast of Maui island, Hawai'i, on the slopes of an extinct volcano.
• Weather: Very strong downslope winds caused extremely rapid fire advance thru the town.
• Total burned area: 2,170 acres = 878 ha in about one day
• 101 to 115 fatalities. About 2,200 buildings burned. Losses estimated at $6B.
• Earth Observatory summary with photos (with links to many other resources)
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• Capstone student Presentation and Report .

5) Donnie Creek, BC.  12 May 2023 - (continued overwinter as a holdover fire) - 30 Aug 2024

• Fire Number: G80280
• approximately 136 km southeast of Fort Nelson and 158 km north of Fort St. John
• 487,509 ha burned as of 14 Jun 2023, up to 619,072 ha by 30 Aug 2024.
• firefighters: 188 personnel, 11 helicopters, 1 incident management team, 28 pieces of heavy equipment
• Weather: caused by lightning, during Spring Dip and drought. More effects by a mid-latitude cyclone later.
• Survived all winter underground, re-emerging in 2024 as a holdover fire.
• Worldview satellite image: https://go.nasa.gov/45stIDk
• -----
• Capstone student Presentation and Report .

6) Williams Flats, WA.  3 - 9 Aug 2019

• Located in eastern Washington state at the "Colville Indian Reservation"
• 17,987 ha burned.
• Weather: ignited by lightning on 2 Aug 2019. High pressure / anticyclone. Wind issues during daytime, with active burning at night too. Pyrocumulus observed.
• Heavily studied, including flights by research aircraft.
• Many locales had "Level 3 (evacuate now)" orders
• 100% contained (under control) by 25 Aug 2019.
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• Capstone student Presentation and Report .