Alberta says 10,000 people are out of their homes because of wildfires

EDMONTON – The Alberta government says wildfires raging across the northern part of the province have forced about 10,000 people from their homes.

The updated figure was given after a day of hot temperatures and gusty winds lead to rapid growth of several blazes burning out-of-control.

READ MORE: Slave Lake on evacuation alert, High Level wildfire continues to grow

About 5,000 people have been out of their homes in and around High Level for more than a week and a series of smaller communities, including Wabasca, the Bigstone Cree Nation and Chipewyan Lake Village, have fallen under evacuation orders since Wednesday.

People in Slave Lake, a town that was partially destroyed in a 2011 blaze, have been told to be prepared to leave with eight hours notice because of a blaze that the mayor says is burning about 30 km away.

Smoke from the fires has enveloped points south, including Edmonton, in a thick, acrid, haze that has limited visibility and made it difficult to breathe.

The government says weather forecasts for the next two weeks will make fighting the fires difficult.

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