Alberta warns of increased risk of wildfires over the long weekend
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 Wednesday.
"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.
READ MORE: Alberta air quality amongst worst in the world due to wildfire smoke
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."
St-Onge urged Albertans to obey all fire restrictions, including fire ban and an off-highway vehicle restriction that remain in place across the Forest Protection Area
"The last thing we want is new wildfires starting," she said.
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As of Wednesday afternoon, close to 12,000 people remained displaced from communities under threat across central and northern Alberta.
Smoke from the wildfires continues to cloak communities across Alberta. As of Thursday morning, special air quality statements remained in effect across much of the province due to poor air quality.
The long weekend coincides with the anticipated return of extreme conditions for the more than 2,500 firefighters and soldiers battling to protect communities under threat.
SEE ALSO: Photos: Thick wildfire smoke engulfs Alberta, alarming air quality warnings
'Hope on the horizon'
Jesse Wagar, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said an upper ridge which brought record-breaking heat to the province last weekend will again form over Alberta triggering parched conditions and unseasonably high temperatures.
The forecast is calling for daily highs this weekend ranging from 25 C to 30 C throughout central and northern Alberta.
READ MORE: Wildfire smoke blankets province as brisk winds accelerate Alberta's fire risk
Along with the heat, there will be brisk winds and the risk of thunderstorms, she said.
"The next couple of days don't look great for wildfires, but if there is a little bit of hope on the horizon," Wagar said.
The longterm forecast calls for rain for the beginning of next week across central and northern communities, with parts of west central Alberta likely to see the most precipitation.
"Exactly how much rain we're going to see remains to be seen," Wager said. "But it is looking hopeful."
Evacuation orders lift
Some Albertans forced to evacuate are returning home, but under caution that wildfires burning near their communities could again become a threat.
In the northwest town of Valleyview, evacuation orders will be lifted at noon Thursday.
Around 1,850 residents were told to leave Monday afternoon due to fires burning west and northwest of the community.
In an advisory to residents Thursday, town officials said fire barriers have been constructed in vulnerable areas but a state of local emergency remains active and residents should remain prepared to evacuate within one hour.
Also in the northwest, the Municipal District of Greenview is downsizing the area of its evacuation zone for the areas around the district and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. Anyone returning to the community, however, should be prepared to evacuate on short notice.
All remaining evacuation orders for the County of Grande Prairie were downgraded Thursday to an evacuation alert. Returning residents must remain on "high alert" and be prepared to evacuate within 30 minutes, the county said in an advisory.
Residents of the town of Drayton Valley, about 145 kilometres southwest of Edmonton, were also allowed to return home Tuesday. Firefighters continue to work in the area, battling a fire that destroyed homes and buildings on the edge of town.
Some residents in the surrounding Brazeau County remain under evacuation orders due to the risk of of hotspots, ash pits and falling trees areas ravaged by the flames.
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Thumbnail courtesy of Alberta Wildfire/Twitter.
This article, written by Wallis Snowdon, was originally published for CBC News.