Smoke plume reaches US: Over 110 wildfires burn in Canada

Canadian wildfires have been raging, forcing at least 30,000 residents to evacuate as smoke spread over thousands of miles.

Recently, the Canadian province of Alberta declared a state of emergency as more than 110 wildfires burned across nearly 1 million acres.

The wildfires were affecting Canadian oil production, shutting in at least 319 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day, which equates to around 4% of the country’s total production.

Based on recent burn area estimates, the Alberta wildfires will go down as one of the top 10 largest wildfires in recorded Canadian history.

Fortunately, conditions have since improved, owing to cooler temperatures, increased humidity, and showers.

Meanwhile, the same smoke then reached parts of the Northeast US. Residents in the affected areas reported unusually vibrant sunrises, which is common during episodes of heavy pollution such as smog or smoke from wildfires.

Parts of the Southwest US however, are now under a greater risk of fire as dry and windy conditions build in through mid-May.