Fire activity picks up Sunday with return of hot, dry conditions
Fire activity in Alberta picked up overnight Saturday, with Alberta Wildfire counting 57 wildfires Sunday afternoon, including 17 which were classified as out of control.
The day before, there were 49 wildfires for which the provincial department was leading the firefighting. Fourteen of those were out of control.
Among the largest is the 132,000-hectare Long Lake fire in northwestern Alberta near the B.C. border and community of Rainbow Lake and the 78,000-hectare Paskwa fire affecting the communities of Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta. Both fires had grown in size Sunday.
"Firefighters expected to see increased wildfire activity over the weekend, and we did," said Melissa Story of Alberta Wildfire.
Seven new wildfires started between Saturday and Sunday's updates, with the majority due to lightning strikes in the northern region.
"This serves as a good reminder that we are still in wildfire season, and with many months ahead of us," Story added.
A fire ban and off-highway vehicle restrictions are still in place in northern and central Alberta due to continuing dry conditions and extreme fire risk.
The City of Edmonton also remains under a fire ban.
Officials are asking Albertans to check their area and follow any fire bans and restrictions in place.
Around 5,257 Albertans remained unable to go home, but the number of evacuation orders had dropped to four.
"While this is encouraging, there continues to be elevated fire activity with shifting winds and warmer temperatures," said Bre Hutchinson from the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
"With dry conditions persisting, there is still a chance that fire activity could increase as the week progresses."
When the Alberta government declared a state of emergency on May 6, there were 110 wildfires burning in the province.
So far in the 2023 wildfire season, more than 1.6 million hectares has been burned.
"This is almost twice the size of Prince Edward Island," Story said.
The state of emergency is set to expire on June 3. Premier Danielle Smith said Friday the next government – which will be elected May 29 – will decide whether or not to extend it.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Edmonton's Alex Antoneshyn
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police find bag carried by gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, say he likely fled NYC on bus
Investigators found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said Friday, following a massive sweep to find it in a vast area with lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds and a densely wooded section called 'The Ramble.'
A police photographer recounts the harrowing day of the Polytechnique massacre
Montreal crime scene photographer Harold Rosenberg witnessed a lot of horror over his 30 years on the job, though nothing of the magnitude of what he captured with his lens at the Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989. He described the day of the Montreal massacre to CTV Quebec Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin.
Quebec premier wants to ban praying in public
Premier François Legault took advantage of the last day of the parliamentary session on Friday to announce to 'Islamists' that he will 'fight' for Quebec values and possibly use the notwithstanding clause to ban prayer in public places such as parks.
Northern Ontario man sentenced for killing his dog
WARNING: This article contains graphic details of animal abuse which may be upsetting to some readers. A 40-year-old northern Ontario man is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to killing his dog earlier this year.
'Home Alone' house up for sale for US$3.8 million in Chicago suburb – but not the one you're thinking of
Social media sleuths noticed that the house next door to the iconic 'Home Alone' house in Winnetka is now up for sale.
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
NDP's Singh forces debate on $250 cheques for more Canadians; Conservatives cut it short
With the fate of the federal government's promised $250 cheques for 18.7 million workers hanging in the balance, the NDP forced a debate Friday on a motion pushing for the prime minister to expand eligibility. The conversation was cut short, though, by Conservative MPs' interventions.
Sask. father who kept daughter from mom to prevent COVID-19 vaccine free from additional prison time
Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan father who withheld his then seven-year-old daughter from her mom for nearly 100 days to prevent the girl from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, was handed a 12-month prison sentence and 200 days probation on Friday, but credited with time served.
Did daily cannabis use go up after Canada legalized it?
Health Canada says daily cannabis use has remained stable since it was legalized in 2018.