Wildfire live updates: Air quality warnings issued for northern Alberta | La Ronge airport breached by wildfire​on June 3, 2025 at 2:29 pm

The Lung Health Foundation urges Canadians to take steps to protect their breathing as smoke moves across the country.

Air pollution, exacerbated by wildfire smoke, is the leading environmental risk to health in Canada, according to the charity, and contributes to nearly 18,000 deaths a year. Smoke drifts across the country, putting millions of Canadians at risk, especially those with breathing challenges like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung conditions.

The foundation recommends five steps to protect lung health during wildfire season: Prep your home by replacing HVAC filters, checking carbon monoxide monitors and consider a portable air cleaner. Build a lung safety emergency kit including prescribed medications, respiratory devices, bottled water and your health card. Stay on track with treatment, even if you are symptom free. Create an action plan and review it with your healthcare provider. Monitor the Air Quality Health Index and reschedule outdoor activities if it shows high readings.

In Westlock County, the fire in the area of Hubert Lake Provincial Park remains out of control but has stopped growing, according to a message from Alberta Emergency Alert.

“Cooler temperatures and scattered precipitation have supported firefighting efforts,” the alert read. “Warmer weather is forecast for this week, resulting in a return to dry conditions.”

Westlock County residents on the east side of the Pembina River are allowed to return home, according to the alert, but should remain vigilant.

Residents on the west side of the Pembina River remain under the mandatory evacuation order.

Meanwhile, in Yellowhead County, residents of Peers, Robb and Merocal and area remain under mandatory evacuation, but the order is expected to be lifted Tuesday at noon, according to Alberta Emergency Alert.

The disrupted production — almost the equivalent of what OPEC+ nations agreed on Saturday to restore to the global market — is a reminder of how volatile oil supply can be. The loss of flows from the world’s fourth-largest oil producer comes at a time when heavy crude supplies already are strained. Oil sands operators had recently curtailed output for regular maintenance, and tightening sanctions have crimped supplies of similar heavy crudes from Venezuela.

Canada has long seen its energy output threatened by wildfires that rage through the dense forests of northern Alberta in spring and summer. In 2016, a blaze shut down the massive oil sands mines just north of Fort McMurray, taking more than 1 million barrels of daily production offline.

Cenovus said Sunday that it expects to resume operations at its 238,000 barrel-a-day Christina Lake oil sands site in the “near term” after shutting output on May 29. MEG Energy’s nearby oil sands site was affected by a power cut due to the blaze, delaying the restart of a 70,000 barrel-a-day section of the facility after maintenance. Canadian Natural evacuated workers from its Jackfish 1 oil sands site, shutting 36,500 barrels a day of output.

The fire complex is about 8 kilometres from Red Earth Creek, and crews are working to set up sprinkler systems and mulchers, as well as working to enforce containment lines.

• Turned over: Alberta Wildfire says a wildfire is “turned over” when a fire that is under control is given to another agency to extinguish it.
• Mutual aid: If a fire is a “mutual aid wildfire,” it’s a wildfire that has started in a municipal district and that district’s firefighters may need help fighting it from Alberta Wildfire.
• Under control: If firefighters and equipment have successfully managed a fire to make sure it won’t grow, it’s classified as being “under control.”
• Being held: Based on expected weather and the resources already fighting a particular fire, a fire that is “being held” means it’s not expected to spread.
• Out of control: A wildfire is growing, or expected to grow, and thus its status is one of being out of control.
• Source: Government of Alberta