Wildfire Prompts Emergency Alert for Two Communities in Western Canada

The two communities were Fort McMurray and Saprae Creek Estates. The fire is currently 25 km southwest of Fort McMurray, and smoke could impact visibility on Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray, Xinhua reported.

Residents in the affected area were asked to be ready to evacuate on short notice.

A total of 117 fires were actively burning nationwide on Friday with 33 fires categorized as out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

The Canadian government warned Thursday that above-normal temperatures nationwide could lead to greater wildfire risks.

Canada's wildfire season in 2023 is the most destructive on record.

According to the Canadian National Fire Database, there were 7,131 fires recorded nationwide in 2023, burning a record 17,203,625 hectares of land.