Alberta and BC Battling Wildfires in Early Start to Season

Alberta has already had nearly double the number of wildfires it usually gets at this time of year–and the short-term outlook does not look much better. “Conditions remain very dry,” Josee St. Onge, the province’s wildfire information officer, said at a news conference on April 24. “We need significant and continued rain to overcome the drought conditions that we are experiencing across many parts of the province.” There are already dozens of fire bans and restrictions across various parts of the province, including in the north, southeast, and southwest regions. Ms. St. Onge told reporters that 63 fires were burning in Alberta as of April 24. While most are relatively small, the province has already seen 205 fires in the spring of 2024, well above the five-year average of 120 fires....