Wildfires continued to rage yesterday, Sunday, aided by continued warm and dry weather in Alberta, western Canada, where it is still “too early” to say the wave of fires has reached its peak, according to emergency officials. crews.

More than five million hectares have already burned in that province, where last night an estimated 88 forest fires were still active, up from 76 on Thursday, 27 of which were still raging out of control.

In addition, in the northern part of Alberta, the risk of fires breaking out is “extreme again”, according to the authorities of the province.

It is still “too early to say if we have seen this situation peak”, rescue sources said, as high temperatures and hot and dry weather are forecast for several days.

As of Saturday night, evacuation orders were issued for areas in the northern and central parts of the province affecting nearly 3,000 people. A total of more than 19,000 Albertans remain away from their homes.

More than 1,500 provincial firefighters, supported by 800 who have flown in from other Canadian provinces and the US, are battling the blazes, accompanied by 300 Canadian Armed Forces soldiers.

For some years now, western Canada has been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events, the intensity and frequency of which is exacerbated by climate change.