NASA Images Show Smoke and Scorched Earth from Wildfires

The scale of the smoke and burn scars from wildfires ravaging western Canada this week has been captured in images from space.

In images taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite, the huge plumes of gray smoke can be seen billowing out across the landscape from the multiple wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia.

As of May 8, over 29,000 people have had to evacuate due to these blazes, which numbered around 100 across the two provinces. Some 27 of the fires were considered out of control in Alberta, with British Columbia having four fires out of control. On May 6, Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency.

According to the British Columbia Wildfire Service, a fire is considered out of control if it "is continuing to spread and is not responding to suppression efforts."

These blazes have produced huge blossoming smoke chimneys. According to NASA Earth Observatory, researchers at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that the smoke pillars may have reached up to 39,000 feet tall, as far as the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

The Alberta fire season usually begins in early May, with dead vegetation being uncovered by the snowmelt and becoming available as fuel for fires. However, this year the fire season may be particularly bad, as it has been unusually hot and dry in Alberta. In Alberta's capital Edmonton, temperatures soared to around 88 F late last week.

Christie Tucker, an information unit manager for the Alberta Wildfire government service, said in a news briefing on Saturday evening that 350,000 hectares of land have burned in Alberta since January 1.

"We were battling very strong winds, hot weather, and those winds produced extreme wildfire activity," added Tucker in a Sunday briefing.

Thankfully, the weather began to cool over the weekend, meaning that the fires will be less prone to starting and that firefighters will be more equipped to get the blazes under control.

"This is giving firefighters a helping hand, causing less active wildfire, allowing them to work on parts of fires they hadn't been able to access before. It's a much-needed chance to make progress on some of these powerful, challenging wildfires," Tucker said.

In Northern Alberta however, the hotter and drier conditions remain.

"Up north, it's still very dry. We're still seeing winds and we are expecting a continuation of those kinds of conditions that can lead to extreme wildfire behavior," Tucker said.

Danielle Smith, the leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta, tweeted on Sunday:

"Our emergency services personnel are doing everything they can to stop these fires. When Alberta comes together in tough moments like these, we become better. I am thankful for our firefighters, our police officers, our nurses, doctors, paramedics, and every Albertan who has answered the call to help."

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