Wildfires continue to rage in western Canada

Hazy conditions across the West are in part due to large wildfires raging across Canada, blazes fueled by the same hot, dry conditions that have sparked fires in the United States.

The new photo on Friday shows a visible satellite image with two distinct circulations in the dense smoke band over northeast Montana, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, NWS forecasters said.

Karen Hill, a spokeswoman for Saskatchewan’s provincial emergency services, said an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people in the province have been forced to leave their homes in recent days.

Worldwide aid has also been accepted by the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and it was announced that 62 Mexican specialized firefighters are heading to Alberta to help battle 92 wildfires, including 33 listed as “out of control”.

Haze from smoke drifting south from the wildfires lingered over parts of eastern Colorado for the third straight day on Wednesday.

The smoke has been impacting air quality in Iowa and across the Midwest now for weeks. “It’s not affecting us at ground level”, Todd said.

Canadians, obviously, have been affected as well.

Wildfires also continue to burn in British Columbia and Alberta, triggering air advisories across central and western Canada, as well as parts of the western U.S.

Kerry Anderson, a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, said the weather pattern known as El Nino, which is caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, is responsible.

The fires have been so intense and so numerous that Canada has appealed for global assistance, with firefighters coming to the country from as far away as Australia and Mexico. Larry is our main news editor.