RoydadNaft –  Wildfire season has returned to Canada’s oil sands region, with seven active blazes ‌in the area on Sunday raising risks for communities, workers, companies and investors.

Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, and the bulk of its production is clustered in northern Alberta’s boreal forest. Wildfires, which have always occurred in this environment but are more common now due to climate change, have become a perennial threat to Canadian oil output.

So ⁠far this year, there have been no significant disruptions to Canadian oil company operations due to wildfire.

A forecast for heavy rain was expected to aid firefighters’ efforts throughout the day, and an evacuation alert issued on Saturday for the nearby small community of Conklin was lifted on Sunday.

While no ‌other ⁠communities were under threat from existing blazes, the risk of new fires starting due to warm, dry conditions remains “extreme” in the Fort McMurray area, according to fire officials.

The recurring risk of fire in Canada’s oil sands region adds a level of uncertainty to company production forecasts in the spring and summer.