Rain, even smoke help fight wildfires in Alberta; new blaze brings evacuation in British Columbia

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Canadian officials say scattered rains and even smoke cover have cooled air temperatures and helped efforts to fight wildfires in Alberta over the weekend. Meanwhile, a new fire in neighboring British Columbia has led to an evacuation order for one rural area. Authorities noted that while the heavy smoke brought cooler temperatures, it also limited the ability to fly firefighting aircraft and it can harm the health of people having to breathe it. Officials say 84 fires burned in the province Sunday, 23 of which were out of control. More than 10,000 people were sheltering away from their homes. British Columbia has also been plagued by wildfires, and officials there ordered the evacuation of an area near Tzenzaicut Lake because of an out-of-control blaze that sprang up.