A series of wildfires burning across central Canada sent smoke billowing into the U.S. over the weekend, with few signs that the blazes will subside anytime soon.

Ferocious wildfires in western Canada have forced thousands of people to flee their homes in Manitoba. Some 17,000 Canadians were evacuated before the blaze spread to neighbouring Saskatchewan. Scott Moe,

A massive fire is closing in on Flin Flon, a community in Manitoba, as air quality advisories reach as far as the US state of Illinois.

It’s looking like another disastrous wildfire season across Canada. As of the last weekend of May, news outlets are reporting that the country was battling around 175 wildfires, with nearly 100 of them that were uncontained.

According to forecasters at AccuWeather, cities where smoke is expected to become thick enough to be noticeable include Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota; Green Bay and Milwaukee; and Chicago, Illinois. Additionally, high-altitude wildfire smoke may be visible as far southeast as Detroit and Indianapolis.

“Typically try to stay indoors when we get the fire, haze and smoke,” said Elkhorn resident William Citro. “I do not think it’s not supposed to get worse until later this afternoon. So this was a good time to beat the heat and beat the smoke.”

Fueled by a severe heat wave, wildfires rage across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, prompting Quebec to offer crucial assistance. Premier François Legault is sending firefighters, a management team,