A sweeping fire restriction has been put in place across Alberta as hot, dry weather leaves forests tinder-dry. Emergency officials are urging extreme caution in the weeks ahead as a persistent and severe drought pushes Alberta’s wildfire danger to the extreme. On Wednesday, following a wildfire information update, the province introduced a fire restriction in the province’s forest protection areas in effort to manage the risk. With the exception of Calgary’s forest protection zone, all outdoor fires are now prohibited on public lands, including backcountry and random camping areas. Wildfires have already prompted a handful of communities to temporarily evacuate and put hundreds more Albertans on notice to leave their homes at a moment’s notice. …As of Wednesday morning, 70 wildfires were burning across Alberta, including 63 that have ignited in forest protection zones. The risk of new wildfires igniting is the most extreme in the northern parts of the province…