How Often Wildfire Data Updates in Canada

FireRadar checks connected wildfire sources regularly. The source update time shown on the map is the best way to judge how current a fire record is, because the responsible agency decides when to publish new information.

• Source last updated is when the responsible source says its information changed.
• Checked by FireRadar is when FireRadar last retrieved the source.
• First reported is when the source says a fire was discovered, created or first reported.
• A recent FireRadar check does not make an unchanged source record newer.

Provincial, territorial, national, satellite, smoke and air-quality sources do not all update at the same time. FireRadar cannot show a change before the responsible source publishes it, and it does not claim that every jurisdiction refreshes at one fixed interval.

• An unchanged time can simply mean the source has not published a new record.
• A delayed or unavailable source is not evidence that there are no wildfires.
• Update times are shown separately where the source provides them.

FireRadar labels delayed or unavailable sources and does not turn missing information into a zero-fire result. When a newer update cannot be confirmed, the most recent verified information may remain visible with its original time and a clear update-status warning.

FireRadar provides wildfire information for general awareness. It is not an emergency authority and cannot guarantee that every change will appear immediately. For evacuation information and urgent safety decisions, follow the responsible local, provincial or territorial authority.

The ECCC FireWork smoke forecast, NASA FIRMS satellite hotspots and AQHI observations update independently from official wildfire records. Use the time shown on each layer rather than applying a wildfire incident time to every kind of information.

• The smoke page shows the forecast time represented by the selected frame.
• A satellite hotspot time represents a heat detection, not an official wildfire report.
• AQHI is an air-quality health indicator and should not be treated as a wildfire incident timestamp.

An agency may update its own map before the public data used by FireRadar changes, or FireRadar may not have completed its next check yet. A source can also revise a record after publication. For emergency decisions, always use the responsible official authority and local emergency information.