Western Canada blazes trigger evacuation orders

The season's first major wildfire spread to nearly 20,000 acres across Western Canada on Sunday as authorities issued an evacuation order for thousands of residents in British Columbia and warned of poor air quality across the country. Evacuees lined up to get emergency support in Fort St. John over the weekend. Across the border in Alberta, residents of Fort McMurray were told to prepare to leave. Eyewitness video captured on Friday showed fire blocking a highway that connects Alberta to the Northwest Territories. Authorities in Alberta said six crews of firefighters, along with 13 helicopters and air tankers were working to tame the fire on Sunday. They said the blaze had subdued but was expected to spread again as the temperature soar. Meanwhile, Canada's Weather Service issued a special air quality statement extending from British Columbia to Ontario on Sunday. The federal government warned of another catastrophic wildfire season as it forecasts higher than normal spring and summer temperatures, boosted by El Nino weather conditions. Canada experienced one of its warmest winters, with low to nonexistent snow in many areas, raising fears that a hot summer would trigger wildfires amid an ongoing drought.