More than 200 fires are raging across the area, prompting evacuations in some communities, including Yellowknife, where 20,000 people live.

So far, land four times the size of Prince Edward Island has burned in the Northwest Territories, and the smoke is causing hazy, blackened skies in many communities.

This text is a translation ofa CTV News article.

Across Canada, smoke is moving eastward, resulting in special air quality declarations from Environment Canada and increasing the risk of health problems for Canadians.

A smoke map from BlueSky Canada, which operates website firesmoke.ca, shows pollution over most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Thursday.

Environment Canada has issued specific air quality statements for these provinces and Northwestern Ontario.

“Air quality from smoke from wildfires can vary over short distances and vary significantly from hour to hour,” Environment Canada’s statement said.

Later Thursday afternoon, smoke is expected to ease in Saskatchewan and heavily pollute Manitoba, the map shows.

Communities around the southern portion of Lake Winnipeg could experience the worst air quality through the afternoon. Environment Canada forecasts that surrounding areas can expect an air quality rating of about seven today.

By the end of Thursday, the smoke will have covered most of northern Ontario and continue to move east, as the map shows.

There will be some concentration of smoke overnight in the greater Toronto area, which will be heaviest at dawn. Environment Canada forecast shows the health risk for Toronto on Friday will be low – although that could change.

The smoke is expected to spread south to New York and east, covering Canada’s capital, by midday Friday.

Ontario is expected to be shrouded in smoke from the Yellowknife fires by Friday night. Most of Quebec, with the exception of the Montreal region, should avoid pollution.

However, some smoke could drift into New Brunswick by early Saturday morning.

forest fires in the west

Raging fires in inland British Columbia and southern Alberta are expected to pollute neighboring provinces as well.

By late Thursday, the smoke will move back into southern Saskatchewan and continue into southern Manitoba.

Air quality in Regina will be poor on Friday evening as clouds clear by Saturday.

Smoke is expected to concentrate in British Columbia’s Penticton, Vernon, Castlegar and Cranbrook communities early Saturday, which could result in readings above 10 on the Air Quality Index.

See also: Yellowknife wildfires: “Access to information is difficult,” regrets one evacuated resident