Over 100 Wildfires in Canada: 30,000 People Evacuated

More than 100 active wildfires in western Canada that continue to grow have led to new evacuation orders, AFP reported.

About 30,000 people have been asked to leave their homes in Alberta, where more than two dozen fires are still burning.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the situation "unprecedented" and declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

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The province, one of the world's largest oil-producing regions, "is experiencing a hot and dry spring and it only takes a few sparks to start some really horrific fires," she said.

A spokeswoman for Alberta's wildfire agency, said "light rainfall in the southern part of the province" on Sunday allowed firefighters to get closer to areas previously inaccessible due to "extreme wildfire behavior."

Conditions in the northern part of the province remain very difficult, she added.

"Our priorities today were and always are wildfires that threaten communities or human life."

Alberta Emergency Management chief Colin Blair said it was difficult to estimate the extent of property damage in some areas because of the smoke and the ongoing fire.

In Fox Lake in northern Alberta, a massive fire destroyed 20 houses, a store and a police station, and some residents had to be evacuated by boat and helicopter.

Two out-of-control wildfires in neighboring British Columbia have forced people to leave their homes, with authorities warning they expect strong winds to fan the flames in the coming days.

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