High winds coupled with a warm, dry spring are fuelling a wave of forest fires across western Canada and parts of Ontario.

More than 200 fires were reported across the country as of Tuesday morning, half of which are labelled out of control.

Wildfires have already burned close to 2.2 million hectares this year, equivalent to the size of about 4 million football fields. At about seven times its ten-year average, the burn area is unusually large for this time of year.

Communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are shrouded in smoke and air quality alerts have been issued across the provinces and bordering U.S. states.

With summer still weeks away, this year’s fire season is running far ahead of schedule. Here’s what you should know.

Which areas are most affected?

The worst blaze

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