Officials advise Albertans to postpone May long weekend plans due to wildfires
Posted May 19, 2023 4:49 pm.
Last Updated May 20, 2023 9:06 am.
Alberta wildfire officials are asking people to consider postponing their long weekend plans as nearly 100 wildfires continue to burn throughout the province.
Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire says the May long weekend is typically when they see a spike in human-caused wildfires, adding that last year 97 wildfires started over the weekend under less extreme wildfire danger levels.
There are 93 wildfires burning in Alberta, 26 of which are out of control.
Most of the province remains under a fire ban and a ban on off-roading vehicles such as quads.
Read More: Alberta parks closed for May long due to wildfires, evacuation lifted for some
Colin Blair, with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, says an estimated 275 structures, including homes and businesses, have been destroyed by the wildfires.
Tucker says more than 830,000 hectares of land has burned, equal to about 10 times the size of the metro Calgary area.
