DENVER (KDVR) — Firefighters from Colorado went to Canada to help stop the fires that made air quality along the Front Range some of the worst in the world on Friday and Saturday.

A northeasterly breeze brings the smoke to the front range where it settles, with the mountains to the west acting as a wall that traps it.

There were 223 active fires in Canada as of Saturday, according to the Canadian International Forest Fire Centre, and 87 of them were out of control.

From the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado, the Craig Interagency Hotshot Crew left on Wednesday for Edmonton, AB as part of the effort.

  • Firefighters in Colorado gather for a photo before they head to Canada to stop the spread of several wildfires that were burning out of control.
  • Smoke from wildfires in Canada blocks the views of downtown from the intersection of Fifth and Lincoln.
  • Smoke is lingering around burned forest land. Smoke from wildfires in Canada is affecting the air quality in Colorado.
  • In this photo provided by the Government of Alberta Fire Service, a wildfire burns a section of forest in the Grande Prairie district of Alberta, Canada, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Government of Alberta Fire Service/The Canadian Press via AP)
  • In this photo provided by the Government of Alberta Fire Service, a burned section of forest in the area near Edson, Alberta, smolders, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Government of Alberta Fire Service/The Canadian Press via AP)

“Our teams are happy to help where we can, even beyond our own borders,” Colorado BLM said in a Facebook post.

They went as part of a larger effort. The National Interagency Fire Center sent more help to Canada after the CIFFC sent another request for resources.

According to NIFC, some 225 federal firefighters were helping up north before an additional 625 federal, state and local support personnel were also assigned to help in Canada.

The fires caused a thick smoke haze to settle over the Front Range, which was expected to linger through Sunday and possibly longer.