Ottawa, May 11: An evacuation alert was issued for two communities in Canada's western province of Alberta due to an out-of-control wildfire. 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 news agency reported. Chile Wildfire: At Least 10 Killed As Wildfires Torch Forests, Destroy Over 1,000 Homes in Central Chile (Watch Video).

Residents in the affected area were asked to be ready to evacuate on short notice. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, a total of 117 fires were actively burning nationwide on Friday, with 33 fires categorised as out of control. US Wildfire Videos: Smokehouse Creek Fire Becomes Texas's Largest-Ever Wildfire, Emergency Responders Struggle.

Plumes of Smoke Emanates Due To Wildfire in Alberta:

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.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2024 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).