Fire activity picks up Sunday with return of hot, dry conditions
Fire activity in Alberta picked up overnight Saturday, with Alberta Wildfire counting 57 wildfires Sunday afternoon, including 17 which were classified as out of control.
The day before, there were 49 wildfires for which the provincial department was leading the firefighting. Fourteen of those were out of control.
Among the largest is the 132,000-hectare Long Lake fire in northwestern Alberta near the B.C. border and community of Rainbow Lake and the 78,000-hectare Paskwa fire affecting the communities of Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta. Both fires had grown in size Sunday.
"Firefighters expected to see increased wildfire activity over the weekend, and we did," said Melissa Story of Alberta Wildfire.
Seven new wildfires started between Saturday and Sunday's updates, with the majority due to lightning strikes in the northern region.
"This serves as a good reminder that we are still in wildfire season, and with many months ahead of us," Story added.
A fire ban and off-highway vehicle restrictions are still in place in northern and central Alberta due to continuing dry conditions and extreme fire risk.
The City of Edmonton also remains under a fire ban.
Officials are asking Albertans to check their area and follow any fire bans and restrictions in place.
Around 5,257 Albertans remained unable to go home, but the number of evacuation orders had dropped to four.
"While this is encouraging, there continues to be elevated fire activity with shifting winds and warmer temperatures," said Bre Hutchinson from the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
"With dry conditions persisting, there is still a chance that fire activity could increase as the week progresses."
When the Alberta government declared a state of emergency on May 6, there were 110 wildfires burning in the province.
So far in the 2023 wildfire season, more than 1.6 million hectares has been burned.
"This is almost twice the size of Prince Edward Island," Story said.
The state of emergency is set to expire on June 3. Premier Danielle Smith said Friday the next government – which will be elected May 29 – will decide whether or not to extend it.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Edmonton's Alex Antoneshyn
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.