Flin Flon, Manitoba - More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated, dozens of wildfires remain active and have lowered air quality in Canada and parts of the United States, according to officials.

Most of the evacuated residents are from Manitoba, who declared a state of emergency last week. By Saturday, there were about 17,000 people evacuated 1,300 in Alberta. As leaders there warn that about 8,000 people have been relocated in Saskatchewan.

Smoke worsens air quality and reduces visibility in Canada and enters some states along the border.

"Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary greatly within an hour," the Saskatchewan Department of Public Safety warned Sunday. "As smoke levels increase, health risks increase."

Firefighters, first responders and planes from other provinces and U.S. states including Alaska, Oregon and Arizona were sent to help fight the fire, Saskatchewan Prime Minister Scott Moe said.

"We are really grateful because you, we will stand up stronger."

He said the continued heat, dry weather has caused some fires to grow and threaten the community, and the resources to fight fires and support evacuators are thin.

"The next four to seven days are absolutely crucial before we can find a path to change weather patterns and finally before rainwater soaks throughout the north," Moe said in a news conference on Saturday.

In Manitoba, more than 5,000 people evacuated are from Flin Flon, located nearly 645 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of the Winnipeg capital. In northern Manitoba, fires phased out electricity to the Cranberry Harbor community, forcing about 600 residents to commit a mandatory evacuation order on Saturday.

A week ago near Creighton, Saskatchewan, the fire became dangerous and quickly jumped the border into Manitoba. The staff have been trying to control it. Water bombers were intermittently grounded due to heavy smoke and drone invasion.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Services deployed an air tank to Alberta and said it would send 150 firefighters and equipment to Canada.

Small clips of air quality in North Dakota and Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota reach "unhealthy" levels in certain parts of the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNOW Page.

National Weather Service

According to the Idaho Department of Land, a fire in the Idaho border country at the U.S. has burned at least 100 acres (40 hectares) as of Sunday, prompting road closures and some evacuations. At least one structure was burned down, but did not provide additional details about the damage, the agency said in a press release.

Strong gusts of winds of 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 kph) and steep terrain make it difficult for firefighters to ignite the fire on Saturday.

The evacuation center in Manitoba opened people to escape the fire, and Winkler, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the U.S. border, headed south. Winnipeg opened public buildings for evacuees as it deals with hotels that already have with other fire refugees, vacationers, businessmen and conferences.

Indigenous leaders of Manitoba said in a press conference on Saturday that hotel rooms in cities where evacuees arrived were full, and they called on the government to guide hotel owners to give priority to evacuees.

Manitoba Chief Kyra Wilson said it was one of the largest evacuations in the province since the 1990s.

"It's so sad to see our kids have to sleep on the floor. People are sitting in the hallway, waiting outside, and now we just need people to get together. People are tired."

The wildfire season in Canada is from May to September. Its worst wildfire season ever was in 2023. It suffocated for months with dangerous smoke in most parts of North America.