Wildfire activity increases in Alberta as hot, dry conditions continue

The Alberta government says hot and dry conditions are expected to continue in the coming days, providing no relief for the roughly 2,500 people fighting wildfires in the province. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Edmonton on Monday to meet with some of the 300 military personnel called in to help fight wildfires in Alberta.

Trudeau and federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair were briefed about the threats from rising temperatures and dryness.

As of Monday evening, more than 19,000 people had been forced from their homes and 24 of 87 active wildfires were considered out of control.

Wildfires have also been a concern for Alberta's neighbours, including the Northwest Territories, where the K'atl'odeeche First Nation and town of Hay River, about 120 kilometres from the northern Alberta boundary, are under evacuation orders. 

In British Columbia, the City of Fort St. John, about 200 kilometres northwest of Grand Prairie, Alta., has issued an evacuation alert for its roughly 21,000 residents in response to a wildfire that's more than 130 square kilometres in size. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2023.

The Canadian Press