<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Canada struggled on Monday to control wildfires that have forced thousands to flee, halted oil production and razed towns, with the western province of Alberta calling for federal help.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some 30,000 people were ordered to leave their homes over the past three days, as nearly 100 fires flared across the province -- including 27 out of control.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Federal disaster officials and the military were on standby, after Alberta leader Danielle Smith spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to formally ask for assistance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Canadians stand with the people of Alberta as they deal with these terrible, terrible wildfires," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We were watching images from the communities affected by these wildfires and I assured Danielle that we will be there to help," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Details of what supports would be made available were not immediately released.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Alberta, firefighters prioritized dousing flames threatening homes and businesses. Many roads near the provincial capital Edmonton were blocked off as temporary shelters welcomed evacuees.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Officials said 390,000 hectares had burned, patients and long-term care residents had to be relocated and many schools were closed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oil firms -- including Vermilion Energy and Crescent Point Energy -- announced temporary shutdowns of operations, slashing production by more than 125,000 barrels of oil per day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many residents and oil workers rode to safety in motorhomes or with campers in tow, and set up in empty parking lots.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Others are staying with friends or family, like Jerry Greiner, a resident from Dayton Valley, west of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We could see the smoke on Friday and there was a pretty strong wind," the 55-year-old told AFP, his eyes tearing up as he recounted receiving the order to evacuate that night.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We quickly grabbed our bags (and went) to our friends' house. About 12 people stayed there," he said. This was the first time Greiner has ever had to flee wildfires.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dayton Valley, a small town of 7,000, was completely abandoned. Trees and grass fields all around were blackened by the fires, and smoke billowed from a few charred buildings, but most of the homes appeared intact, observed an AFP reporter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Black smokey skies -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was not clear when residents would be permitted to return.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Resident Randy Braun, 57, said the fire chief told locals it would be "at least a week minimum."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Smith said the fires "may continue on for several months," but added that evacuation orders had been lifted in the morning for three communities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kathy Bereuwski, 61, escaped with her family and dogs. "The sky," she told AFP, "was pitch black" with smoke and falling ash.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the northern community of Fox Lake, a fire destroyed 20 homes, a store and a police station. Residents had to be evacuated by boat and helicopter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Alberta premier declared a state of emergency on Saturday, calling the wildfire situation "unprecedented."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The province -- one of the world's largest oil-producing regions -- "has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Almost all of Alberta as well as much of neighboring Saskatchewan province, parts of British Columbia and a large swath of the Northwest Territories face extreme fire risks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two out-of-control wildfires in westernmost British Columbia have also forced residents to evacuate, and authorities have warned they expect strong winds to swell those blazes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In recent years, western Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Forest fires in Canada's oil sands region in 2016 disrupted production and forced out 100,000 residents from Fort McMurray, pummelling the nation's economy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More recently in 2021, British Columbia suffered record-high temperatures over the summer that killed more than 500 people, as well as wildfires that destroyed an entire town.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That was followed by devastating floods and mudslides.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christie Tucker, a spokesperson with Alberta's wildfire agency, said Monday brought "a continuation of yesterday's break in the hot weather across most of the province, with light scattered showers."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's a much needed chance to make progress on some of these powerful, challenging wildfires," she said. "But we're not out of the woods yet." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>