Number of wildfires in Alberta drops over cooler, wet long weekend
Rain over the long weekend helped some 2,900 wildland firefighters and support staff in Alberta. Cooler temperatures this week could help even more, officials say.
The number of fires in Alberta's protected forest areas – where the governmental agency Alberta Wildfire leads the response – dropped from 91 on Saturday to 71 on Monday. The number had not changed as of Tuesday afternoon.
"Today we've seen a continuation of the showers that started in the province yesterday and the lower fire behaviour that resulted from that," Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker said. "Many of the major wildfires burning received some rain which means these are good days for firefighters to make real progress in containing these fires."
Temperatures are expected to remain low throughout the week.
About 10,655 Albertans remain forced from their homes because of wildfire threat.
No new evacuation alerts or orders were issued over Monday night.
Smoke from the fires is affecting air quality in a number of communities throughout the province.
"Once we are able to bring more of the wildfires to 'being held' status, or under control eventually, you will see less fire behaviour and there should be less smoke," Tucker said.
The evacuation centre at the Expo Centre that housed residents from Drayton Valley and Brazeau County closed on Tuesday after they were allowed to return home last week.
Alberta will give another wildfire update Wednesday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6863597.1714161309!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.