Thirty-three new wildfires began burning in Alberta within the last 24 hours.
Lightning strikes last night were responsible for most of them.
That brings the total in the province to 63 wildfires, 13 of which are out of control. Another 14 are being held, 35 are under control and one “has been turned over to the responsible party,” said Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in a news release.
It said more than 73,000 acres have burned since April 1 in 723 different fires.
The outlook remains serious throughout this week amid hot, dry weather conditions across most of the province.
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Firefighters from Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are at work against various blazes, combining ground attack with helicopters and air tankers.
People who were evacuated from fire-threatened areas over the last few days, most of them from Wabasca, are now able to return to their homes, and other evacuation orders have been lifted, the department said.
Smoke has created air quality issues in the northern zone and Edmonton and Cold Lake regions.
A fire ban remains in effect across Alberta. No campfires or other open fires are permitted in campgrounds or the back country.
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