Alberta warns of increased risk of wildfires over the long weekend
CBC
As wildfires continue to rage across Alberta, the province is warning of the heightened risk of new fires igniting over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Unseasonably high temperatures are expected to return to Alberta this weekend, threatening to fuel wildfires burning across the province.
As of Thursday morning, 98 wildfires are burning in Alberta. Of the 92 wildfires burning inside forest protection areas, 26 are considered out of control.
With temperatures set to rise, Albertans need to do their part to ensure the emergency does not escalate, says Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis.
"Unfortunately the hot, dry weather continues and the conditions for wildfires remain extremely volatile," Ellis said during a news conference Thursday.
"It will be critical to avoid any activities that might start new fires or make the current situation worse."
Fire officials will provide an update on the current situation starting at 3 p.m. MT. You can watch it here live.
WATCH: Why Canada's wildfires are increasingly destructive
Since the start of the year 487 wildfires in Alberta have scorched more than 764,000 hectares.
According to Alberta Wildfire, it's believed that around 47 per cent of the fires were sparked by human activity, while 45 per cent remain under investigation.
Officials with Alberta's wildfire-fighting agency echoed the call for caution for the weekend ahead.
A string of human-caused wildfires are recorded every year on the May long weekend, said Josee St-Onge, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire.
"The long weekend is typically, and historically has been, the weekend where we see the most human-caused wildfires on the landscape," she said.
"We're bracing for some difficult conditions, both because the weather is going to be hot and dry … but also because we know that more people are going to be outdoors for the long weekend, enjoying themselves and sometimes that can lead to some unintentional wildfires."
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