As Alberta faces the prospect of another wildfire smoke-filled summer, experts are urging people to monitor conditions and take steps to protect their health.

Right now, wildfires are raging across over 7 million acres of Western Canada’s boreal forest, a continuous blanket of conifers and growth that covers much of the country and is particularly susceptible to changes in the climate, like warmer temperatures and less snow or rain.

The fires’ consequences are not just being felt locally, but internationally. Smoke from the wildfires has drifted across the Atlantic Ocean, turning skies above the United Kingdom orange. The fires’ smoke may also be uniquely toxic due to the country’s heavily mined forests.

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has spread more than 5,000 miles, reaching parts of Russia and Europe during the past week.

AccuWeather long range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said long-lasting stretches of deep blue sky may not return to the Northeast for weeks, or possibly even months.

More than 200 wildfires are blazing across Canada, forcing 27,000 people to evacuate and creating hazardous air quality all over the U.S.

It’s still early in the season and Canadian wildfires have already burned 7.8 million acres. The yearly average is 7.3 million acres.