Out-of-control wildfires prompt evacuations in western Canada: NPR

A wildfire sparks a wildfire in the Grande Prairie region of Alberta, Canada, on Saturday.

Government of Alberta Fire Service/The Canadian Press via AP

Hide caption

Switch caption

Government of Alberta Fire Service/The Canadian Press via AP

A wildfire sparks a wildfire in the Grande Prairie region of Alberta, Canada, on Saturday.

Government of Alberta Fire Service/The Canadian Press via AP

Edmonton, Alberta – Firefighters battled it out Forest fires threatening communities in western Canada on Sunday amid hopes that cooler temperatures and the possibility of rain might bring some temporary relief.

A provincial-wide state of emergency was declared Saturday in Alberta as more than 110 wildfires raged across the province, forcing more than 24,000 people to leave their homes.

Two out-of-control fires in neighboring British Columbia have also caused some people to leave their homes, and officials have warned that they expect high winds to increase the size of the fires in the next few days.

Provencal Alberta officials said the weather forecast was favorable for the next few days, with scant amounts of rain and cloudy conditions. But they warned that hot and dry conditions are expected to return in a few days.

A regional update on Sunday said “While there are some areas that could have had some rain, others may not. Wildfires in the region are very hot and will burn deep into the ground. These fires can flare up again.” If the conditions are right.” About the fires in Parkland and Yellowhead counties west of Edmonton.

In northeastern British Columbia, Peace River Regional Chief Leonard Hibbert said in a statement that the two large fires in that region have been “extreme” in spreading since they were discovered Friday. He urged anyone living in an area covered by evacuation orders to leave immediately.

A third fire in British Columbia was getting out of control 700 kilometers (430 mi) to the south, in the Teare Creek area, and some residents near the village of McBride were evacuated.