Ferocious wildfires in western Canada have forced thousands of people to flee their homes in Manitoba. Some 17,000 Canadians were evacuated before the blaze spread to neighbouring Saskatchewan. Scott Moe,

The situation has been so severe that Manitoba, forced to call upon the Canadian Armed Forces this week, is now seeking international help

A day earlier, 17,000 people were told to flee wildfires in the neighbouring province of Manitoba, which declared its own state of emergency. More than 166 fires are actively burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.