EDMONTON, Alberta — Several raging wildfires across a wide swath of Alberta have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents as a warm, dry, and windy pattern persists across the province.
At last count, 103 wildfires were burning in the province as of Saturday morning, of which 37 were considered out of control, according to Alberta’s Wildfire Information Dashboard.
Stephen Lacroix, assistant deputy minister at the Government of Alberta, said approximately 13,000 people had been ordered to evacuate some of the more threatening fires. But he warned that the number is fluid as more fires break out and others’ threats become more contained.
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“This is a stark reminder of how unpredictable and powerful wildfires can be,” Lacroix said during a press conference Friday morning.
So far, Alberta emergency officials have issued more than two dozen critical wildfire alerts for the province.
There have been no reports of any injuries so far.
The current wildfires are just the latest in what has already been an extremely busy fire season in Alberta. So far, the province has recorded 348 wildfires since Jan. 1, burning 25,000 hectares (61,000 acres), said Christine Tucker with Alberta Wildfire.
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“That’s significantly more wildfire activity for this time of year than we’ve certainly seen at any time in the recent past,” Tucker said.
Fire bans are in effect for much of the region, prohibiting any open wood fires either on public or private property, including backyards.