Wildfire officials say more than 10,000 square kilometers of land have burned in Alberta this year as dozens of blazes continue across the province.
Alberta Wildfire’s Christie Tucker says the province has never seen so much wildfire activity.
In 1984, there was a record 13,000 square kilometers burned during the entire fire season, which typically lasts from early March to late October.
Scattered showers over the past week have allowed firefighters to battle the blazes.
There are 71 active wildfires in Alberta, 20 of which are deemed out of control. Around 10,000 people were evacuated to various communities.
Bre Hutchinson, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, says the wildfire situation remains serious and all Albertans need to remain vigilant, especially those living in areas under evacuation alert.
Evacuation orders lifted in British Columbia
In northeast British Columbia, all wildfire-related evacuation orders have now been lifted or downgraded to evacuation alerts as heavy rains ease the fire danger.
The Peace River Regional District has rescinded orders issued last week regarding properties threatened by the Stoddart Creek Fire northeast of Fort St. John.
Officials made the announcement late Monday, as they also lifted an evacuation order covering properties around the fire, estimated at 1,300 square kilometers, from Donnie Creek southeast of Fort Nelson.
The provincial forest fire service stresses that the Stoddart Creek fire is unlikely to spread beyond its boundaries under current conditions.
Evacuation alerts still cover more than 500 properties in northeastern British Columbia, but rain warnings are now in effect for much of that region and Environment Canada says up to 100 millimeters is expected to fall before the system relaxes.
The River Forecast Center has issued flood watches for much of east-central British Columbia, from the Peace River region to the Kootenay, Boundary and Okanagan regions.
Extremely hot conditions over the past week have accelerated snowmelt, swelling rivers and making them vulnerable to additional rainfall and the potential for flooding or debris flows.