Roughly 5,000 Alberta residents have been evacuated from their homes because of a wildfire near High Level.

Officials say there have been about 430 wildfires since March and 30 of them are currently active.

They say the main priority right now is the fire near High Level that has burned through about 800 km by this week. It is one of six wildfires that are out of control right now.

Premier Jason Kenney says they are in for the long haul and neigbouring provinces are on their way to help. Firefighters from Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia are going to help the 90 firefighters in Alberta currently working to control it.

Although the winds have been strong, officials expect them to blow in the preferred direction away from homes and other buildings.