Alberta wildfire count decreases after spate of rain | CBC News

The Alberta wildfire count has decreased slightly after several days of sporadic rainfall offered a reprieve for firefighters.

According to the provincial wildfire status dashboard around noon Wednesday, there were 71 wildfires burning across Alberta. In Alberta’s forest protection zones, there were 67 wildfires with 17 considered out of control.

On Sunday, before many areas received some much-needed rainfall, there were 91 wildfires across Alberta.

Alberta Wildfire and the Alberta Emergency Management Agency are scheduled to provide an update at 3 p.m. You can watch it live here.

Although conditions have offered a boon to firefighting efforts, officials have tamped down expectations by cautioning the wildfire season — which runs until October — is far from over.

As of Tuesday, more than 10,000 Albertans were still evacuated from their homes. There were 15 evacuation orders still in place. 

More than one million hectares have burned so far. Thirteen wildfire complexes ranging in size from around 10,000 to 200,000 hectares are still in play — all but the smallest still out of control.

Officials say this year’s wildfire season is now the second-worst wildfire season on record. The previous record was set in 1981, when 1.3 million hectares burned.

By this time last year, only 450 hectares had burned.

Rainfall warnings that covered western Alberta have now been rescinded. An air quality statement caused by smoke remains in effect for much of northern Alberta.