Wildfire battles continue under heat, air quality alerts over most of Canada

The day after what was supposed to be national Clean Air Day, dozens of alerts remain in place for unseasonable heat or smoky air quality that kept millions of Canadians coughing and squinting. And forecasts suggest that air quality risks for the GTA, the Niagara region and southwestern Ontario will only increase through the end of the week.Environment Canada's air quality health index listed Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., as the worst in Canada, with a very high risk warning.

Individuals were also changing their plans to enjoy the great outdoors and donning face masks when they were outside. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre database showed 440 fires burning in nine provinces and two territories. More than half were considered out of control.

Alberta has lifted its state of emergency following a very difficult May, during which 314 fires burned more than 12,000 square kilometres of forest and prompted thousands of people to flee their homes. Still, 65 fires remain burning in that province, 17 of them out of control.

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