Officials from Alberta Wildfire and the Alberta Emergency Management Agency will update the situation on fires burning in the province ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend.

As has been the case all week, officials on Thursday stressed the province is not out of the woods — in fact, it will likely get worse before it gets better.

The May long weekend is traditionally the start of the camping season for many, but Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said people across the province need to be mindful of the extreme risk.

“It will be critical to avoid any activities that could start new fires or make the current situation worse,” he stressed.

On Thursday, Alberta announced a voluntary public land restriction, asking people to restrict recreation activities, including hiking, mountain biking and camping, on Crown land in northwest Alberta. This includes the Edson, Grande Prairie, High Level, Peace River, Slave Lake and Whitecourt forest areas. It also applies to the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area located north of Highway 11.

Several provincial parks and campgrounds in areas where the fire danger is high are closed. Campers with reservations in affected areas will receive a refund.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9675857/alberta-wildfires-may-2023/

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