Canada’s Alberta faces more wildfires amid hot, dry weather

Ottawa, The Gulf Observer: Canada’s main oil-producing province of Alberta faces an upsurge in wildfire activity as western Canada swelters in hot, dry weather and blazes keep thousands from their homes.

Authorities said Saturday they had already seen an increase in fire activity and were expecting more. Residents forced to evacuate early this month say they are frustrated with the indefinite displacement.

Special alerts have been declared across western Canada, and officials urged vigilance with temperatures in some areas forecast to hit 30 Celsius (86 F), 10 to 15 degrees above normal, Reuters reported.

“The wildfire danger is extreme in most of the province and will continue to increase in the coming days,” Alberta Wildfire official Josee St-Onge told a briefing Saturday.

“We are expecting wildfire activity to pick up today. In fact, it already has.”

As of Saturday afternoon there were 83 active wildfires in Alberta, 21 of them out of control, according to authorities. About 16,500 people were displaced as of Saturday, down from about 30,000 earlier this month.