Hotter than average temperatures to last through September

Western provinces and the East Coast should remain on alert for the possibility of more wildfire activity throughout the rest of summer, based on the latest federal government update.

Wide swaths of B.C. and the prairie provinces are expected to be drier and hotter than normal.

Federal government forecasters also see above-average seasonal temperatures for most of the country over the next three months.

Data provided by Public Safety Canada at a technical briefing this morning shows 78,000 square kilometres of land has burned so far this year, mostly in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

That's the second highest on record after 2023, and more than twice the 10-year average.

There are 707 active fires currently burning across the country — 68 of which are considered to be out of control.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick