No respite expected for wildfire-hit Alberta

Ottawa | Reuters — Abnormally hot and dry weather is set to return to Alberta on Thursday after a couple of cooler days helped calm wildfires that have forced thousands of evacuations in the province.

Record-high temperatures and tinder-dry vegetation have led to an intense, early start to wildfire season in Western Canada this year. Weather forecasters see no improvement in conditions at least until next week.

As of Thursday morning, there were 92 wildfires burning in the forest protection area of Alberta, including 26 out of control. Neighbouring British Columbia was reporting 60 active fires, with 14 out of control.

Saskatchewan as of Wednesday night was reporting 24 active fires with four deemed “not contained.” Manitoba on Wednesday was reporting 15 active wildfires; two in that province’s north, in an area between Norway House and Cross Lake, were deemed out of control.

More than 2,500 firefighters, including personnel from Canadian and U.S. agencies, and the Canadian army, have been battling the Alberta wildfires.

The widespread blazes have put Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s disaster management skills — as well as her party’s policies — under the microscope ahead of a provincial election on May 29.

About 38,000 Albertans had been asked to evacuate their homes. As of Wednesday, many had been allowed to return, and only about 12,000 remained under evacuation orders thanks to a cold front this week that helped firefighting.

The cold front also brought strong winds that carried smoke to neighbouring provinces and created poor air quality in a large part of Western Canada.

“Winds have weakened today across most of the province and temperatures are near normal for this time of year, but things will start to change tomorrow,” Christie Tucker, an Alberta Wildfire official, said Wednesday.

The wildfire activity has already caused some rail service disruption, but the impact is unlikely to have credit implications for the Canadian grain handling sector, said Moritz Steinbauer, vice-president of diversified industries at ratings agency DBRS Morningstar.

Canadian National Railway had temporarily shut its Edson subdivision between Edmonton and Jasper, Alta. for the weekend of May 6 due to nearby fires, but reopened the line that Monday.

CN said in its Canadian grain handling report for the week ending May 13 it’s working with local emergency services to “minimize the impacts of wildfires threatening its network.”

Rival CPKC, in its grain handling report for the same week, hasn’t yet reported any fire-related line closures. The railway said in its grain handling report for the same week that it has been placing some grain hopper cars in storage “due to low customer demand” as farmers focus on spring seeding.

Organizations in Alberta have offered up space such as agricultural fair sites, rodeo grounds, sports grounds and auction market pens for livestock evacuated from fire zones.

The Alberta government has reiterated in its daily updates that any evacuated farmers and ranchers can contact the provincial wildfire resource line at 310-4455 with ag- or livestock-related questions, and should also register at the evacuees’ reception centre for their community so staff can connect them with any needed resources.

Producers may also need re-entry permits if they want to go back to check on livestock in an area still under an active evacuation order, and should check with their municipality before entering, the province said.

Oil and gas firms operating in Alberta have shut down production of at least 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), or 3.7 per cent of Canada’s production, due to the wildfires there.

Concerns about the fires have also led benchmark Canadian heavy crude prices to rise to their highest levels in months.

On Wednesday, consultancy firm Rystad Energy said nearly 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of Alberta oil sands production in May is at risk in “very high” or “extreme” wildfire danger rating zones.

Of estimated May production volumes, about 60 per cent are subject to extreme wildfire danger levels, with the remaining 40 per cent subject to very high danger, Oslo-based Rystad said.

— Reporting for Reuters by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; includes files from Glacier FarmMedia Network staff.