Wildfires in Alberta currently covers a significant portion of Canada.

With over 80 wildfires still raging in Alberta and 23 of them being labeled as out of control, along with almost 18,000 individuals displaced from their homes, smoke from these fires has now spread across the majority of Canada.

According to AirNow, a real-time monitoring system for wildfires and air quality in North America, the smoke plume’s path can be observed on a tracking map.

The map shows that as of Thursday morning, the smoke has extended as far north as Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories.

 

The plume has already crossed the Coast Mountains of British Columbia to the west and has now made its way to the Pacific Ocean.

To the east, the plume has enveloped most of Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and Newfoundland. However, there are still regions in the southwest, such as Vancouver and Vancouver Island, and the northwest, such as Whitehorse, that have yet to be affected by the plume. The tracking map also reveals that Labrador is mostly unaffected by the plume.

 

On Tuesday, the aforementioned map indicated that most of Quebec and Eastern Canada had not been impacted by the smoke from the wildfires, and the plume had only reached the northeastern corner of British Columbia.

Presently, air quality statements are still active for a large part of Alberta, and Environment and Climate Change Canada has cautioned about reduced visibility as a consequence of the wildfire smoke.

The national weather agency has also issued a statement stating that individuals with lung or heart ailments, the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those who work outside are at a greater risk of being affected by the health consequences of the smoke resulting from the wildfires.

On Saturday, the provincial administration of Alberta declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfires. Multiple provinces are aiding in the firefighting efforts by dispatching equipment and firefighters to Alberta.

As of Thursday, the Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed to support Alberta’s battle against these unparalleled wildfires, as confirmed by the provincial government.

To date, Alberta has confronted over 420 wildfires this year.