Wildfires are raging again this spring across Western Canada, with flames ripping through forests in parts of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.
In Alberta alone, roughly 98 wildfires were burning and 26 were classified as out of control on Thursday, according to the latest update, and officials have already enlisted the help of nearly 1,000 out-of-province firefighters from across Canada and the U.S.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, said Mike Flannigan, a professor and wildfire expert at the University of Alberta.
“We’re getting warmer, so we’re seeing more fire,” Flannigan said.
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In the weeks after the spring thaw, forests are particularly vulnerable if it’s been hot and dry