The province of Alberta, Canada, home to more than four million people, is under a state of emergency, as nearly 100 wildfires burn, dozens of them out of control.
Still, there are 93 active wildfires in Alberta as of 12:00 EST on Friday, and experts say the end is nowhere in sight.Wildfires in Alberta are typical in May, said Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. High Prairie has been under official evacuation alert since 12 May, where automatic alerts interrupt the TVs, radios, tablets and cell phones of residents daily, warning them of how imminent an official evacuation may be.Ms Hamelin, who said she has chronic lung disease, was rushed to the hospital in the beginning of May after suffering a severe sudden bout of pneumonia, which she blames on the smoke.
Some facilities in High Prairie, including nursing homes and hospitals, shutdown as a precaution and vulnerable groups were evacuated. High Prairie Hospital has since reopened. The 782,000 hectares that have already burned are nearly seven times higher than the five-year average for the same period, she said, which is 123,000 hectares.