Here is an excerpt from an article in the Montreal Gazette:
EDMONTON — Low humidity, warm temperatures and dry ground have created perfect conditions for fast-moving wildfires, says the province.
As of Saturday evening, 73 wildfires were burning across Alberta, said Rob Harris, a fire information officer with Sustainable Resource Development. Twenty-seven of these fires were out of control.
Most of the fires were in the Slave Lake, Whitecourt and Edson areas, where tinder-dry conditions have been aggravated by low humidity levels, Harris said.
On Saturday, humidity levels were below 15 per cent, while the temperatures hovered at around 20 C, creating ideal conditions for extreme and erratic wildfires.