Updated: May 31, 11:39 a.m.
HELENA — Smoke from large wildfires in Alberta has drifted into five U.S. states and is causing haze and air quality issues.
More than two dozen fires are burning in Alberta and 10,000 people have been forced from their homes.
The smoke has drifted into Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington state and Wyoming.
The government agency Alberta Wildfire reports the largest blaze is out of control about 450 miles (733 kilometers) north of Edmonton and has burned 887 square miles (2,300 square kilometers) of land.
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality rated Great Falls, Helena, Butte and Dillon’s air quality as unhealthy for sensitive groups
Friday morning while the air quality in the Montana cities of Great Falls and Lewistown was rated as unhealthy for sensitive groups such as people with asthma or heart disease. Air quality was moderate in Flathead County, Seeley Lake, Frenchtown and Missoula.