Uncontrolled wildfires keep Alberta on edge as thousands remain displaced

Even as firefighters get relief from extreme heat and harsh winds, Alberta's most dangerous wildfires are continuing to burn near communities under threat. 

More than 60 wildfires are burning across the province as of Wednesday. Of these, 23 have no established perimeter to slow their spread and at least seven of these out-of-control fires are considered a current threat to nearby communities. 

Around 3,000 Albertans are displaced, with eight communities under evacuation orders as of Wednesday morning. Thousands more remain on evacuation alert, under orders to be ready to leave their homes at a moment's notice.

Wednesday night, an existing evacuation order in Saddle Hills County expanded because of a fire in the Blueberry Mountain Area. 

The order now includes all those located within Township Road 804 and Highway 49, between Range Road 100 and Range Road 95.

Smoke has blanketed skies over much of the province, triggering a swath of air quality alerts and warnings.

Alberta faced a volatile start to wildfire season, but the overall impact has been lighter that what is being experienced in other provinces. Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have invoked states of emergency to help various levels of government deliver aid as they experience some of their worst fire seasons in recent years.

Cooler temperatures, scattered rain and calmer winds helped firefighting efforts on Tuesday, while the forecast offers relief both to firefighters on the frontline and people struggling to cope with the high levels of smoke, said Environment Canada meteorologist Christy Climenhaga.

A stagnant weather system has allowed a large plume of smoke to pool over much of the province, as well as parts of western Canada and the United States, she said. But a low-pressure system is expected bring a change in winds that will help much of the smoke dissipate by the weekend, Climenhaga said.

"We're going to start see some slow relief," she said. "We're going to start to see those winds coming in from more of that southeast direction, strengthening just a little bit to help push that smoke out of the area." 

Conditions should begin clearing by Friday, with the weather pushing the smoke north and bringing some much-needed moisture to the province. 

By Saturday, considerable rainfall is expected in communities across the province, with up to 30 mm forecast in some regions, Climenhaga said.

The change of weather is expected to both help and hinder the fight for crews battling one of most dangerous wildfires in Alberta — the Kiskatinaw River Wildfire, which spread in from B.C.

The wildfire, now straddling the provincial boundary, covers a 21,679 hectares and continues to burn out of control.