Crude production in Northern Alberta continues to flow unabated despite evacuations from oil sands areas due to threats from wildfires.Calgary-based MEG Energy that output from its Christina Lake thermal bitumen facility has remained stable even though it continues to operate at reduced staffing levels.“Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our people and the communities near our operations,” CEO Darlene Gates said in a statement. “By maintaining a proactive approach to safety and reducing our on-site workforce to essential personnel only, we have been able to safeguard our operations.”.MEG has implemented comprehensive emergency response measures and continues to closely monitor the wildfire situation. The company said it is in regular communication with Alberta Forestry and Parks and local authorities to ensure coordinated efforts.Last week it evacuated non-essential personnel and contractors due to fire encroachment.Meanwhile, the Alberta government reported over the weekend that 160 fires continue to burn even as much of Western Canada remains under heat warnings.A disturbance moving into Alberta over the weekend is expected to bring thunderstorms into the region on Monday, and with it the threat of an increasing number of lightning strikes that could start more fires..Calgary is on track to see temperatures at or above 30C for nine days in a row, which would be an all-time record streak for the city. The previous record was an eight-day stretch seen more than a century ago, back in July 1917.On Sunday Edmonton tied a six-day string of 30C last set in 1961. That record is expected to fall today, on Monday, when the mercury climbs to 34C before falling back to 27C on Wednesday.Meanwhile, the city’s air quality health index reached 10+ on Sunday or ‘very high risk’ and is expected to stay there until widespread rains and cooler temperatures roll in starting on Thursday.The upshot is that the haze is expected to help cool daytime highs.“Thick smoke in parts of the province may cause daytime highs to be a few degrees cooler than forecast over the coming days,” Environment and Climate Change Canada said in its heat warning for Calgary.But heat records are still expected to continue falling, especially in Southern Alberta, where thermostats have been flirting with 40C. If Medicine Hat manages to hit that mark, it would be the hottest reading since July 28, 1939 at the height of the Dust Bowl.
