Wildfire activity in Alberta wasn't as bad over the holiday weekend as officials had feared when they saw the initial hot and dry weather forecasts because of smoke cover and limited rain in some areas.
But it's not all good news because while smoke cools the air, it limits the ability to fly firefighting aircraft and it harms the health of everyone having to breathe it.
Officials reported Sunday that a wildfire that's a part of the Eagle Lake complex of fires near Fox Creek, Alta., saw some precipitation overnight Saturday, allowing firefighters on the ground and heavy equipment operators the chance to continue containing the fire. Overall Sunday, there were 84 fires burning in the province, 23 of which were out of control. More than 10,000 people were evacuated.
A spokeswoman for Alberta Health Services said that, while she wasn't able to provide numbers on emergency department visits or health hotline calls since smoke arrived in many areas last week, there are signs the pollution is an issue.
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