Wildfires threaten Alberta oil operations

Canadian producer MEG Energy Corp. became the latest to evacuate non-essential staff from Alberta following the potential risk from forest fires.

"Safety is absolutely paramount," Jamey Fitzgibbon, a senior vice president at MEG, said in a statement. "As a precautionary measure, we have temporarily suspended operations."

The provincial government during the weekend enacted a full ban on open fires as hot, dry weather persists across the region. Environment Canada predicts a slight chance of showers through mid-afternoon Wednesday with a high near 70 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 degrees warmer than average for central Alberta.

As of Monday, the provincial government reports 29 active wildfires, including a 500-acre wildfire that's forced the evacuation of roughly 2,000 residents in north-central Alberta. Since April 1, more than 600 wildfires have been reported, charring more than 32,000 acres of land.

Emergency management officials said evacuation orders were in place for some areas affected by the wildfires.

Canadian Natural Resources evacuated workers from provincial stations during the weekend. Operational closures in response to the fire threat in Alberta have cost the company close to 100,000 barrels of oil per day in production.

Alberta deployed more than 1,000 personnel to help battle the blazes.

"Hot, dry weather is forecasted to continue for at least another week, threatening to further elevate wildfire hazard," the provincial government said.

Alberta is the top oil-producing province in the country.