The wildfires raging across Alberta and disrupting Canada's oil and natural gas production are expected to get worse in coming days as hot, dry weather persist throughout the province.
Authorities have warned that Alberta faces an increase in wildfire activity as western Canada continues to endure hot, dry weather conditions that are making the current situation more extreme.
Thousands of residents continue to be forced from their homes due to the wildfires, and several oil and gad companies have been required to halt production and evacuate workers in the province.
Special alerts have been issued across western Canada as temperatures in some areas reach as high as 30° Celsius (86°F), which is 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.
As of May 13, there were 83 active wildfires in Alberta, 21 of them labeled “out of control,” according to authorities. About 16,500 people are currently displaced in the province.
Oil and gas producers have been forced to shutdown the equivalent of 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or 3.7% of national production, due to the wildfires.
More than 200 Canadian soldiers have been deployed to Alberta to help fight the wildfire outbreak, with another 100 military personnel expected to be deployed in coming days.
