Ottawa, May 14 (BNA): Canada’s main oil-producing province of Alberta is facing an upsurge in wildfire activity as western Canada grapples with hot, dry weather and fires that keep thousands from leaving their homes.
Authorities said Saturday that they have already seen an increase in fire activity and expect more.
Special alerts have been declared across western Canada, and officials have urged vigilance with temperatures in some areas expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), an increase of 10 to 15 degrees above normal, Reuters reported.
“The bushfire threat is severe in most of the province and will continue to increase in the coming days,” Alberta Wildfire Officer Jose St-Onge told a news briefing on Saturday.
“We expect wildfire activity to pick up today. In fact, it has already.”
As of Saturday afternoon, there were 83 active wildfires in Alberta, 21 of which were out of control, according to authorities. Some 16,500 people had been displaced as of Saturday, down from 30,000 earlier this month.
ZHB