High-risk zones re-activated by Transport Canada as wildfire season sets new records

Western Canada’s 2025 wildfire season has already scorched massive swaths of forest—over 703,000 ha in B.C. and 663,000 ha in Alberta as of mid‑July—making it one of the most severe on record.

Blazes have crept close to critical rail lines, forcing Canadian National to suspend service on its northern B.C. subdivisions (e.g., Fort Nelson) and pause traffic through fire‑threatened corridors like Jasper National Park while crews inspect and repair track damage (Reuters; The Albertan).

Transport Canada has re‑activated ministerial orders in high‑risk zones, mandating both CN and CP to cut train speeds, boost trackside fire‑spotting patrols, and reroute or halt movements wherever fires endanger the right‑of‑way (Reuters).

At the Port of Vancouver, rail links into and out of the terminals were recently halted as wildfires encircled the yard, creating a backlog of container trains while CN and CP work with authorities to resume safe operations (PSA BDP).

Canadian Pacific has similarly paused service on interior routes, deployed specialized fire‑suppression trains along its corridors, and partnered with the BC Wildfire Service to monitor hotspots—measures that, collectively, are reshaping rail logistics until the fire season abates.