Wildfires in Canada: South African firefighters uplift Canada with 'awe-inspiring' display of solidarity at Edmonton airport

Over 440 wildfires are actively burning across nine provinces and two territories as of Thursday evening, setting Canada on track to experience its worst-ever wildfire season on record.

Here are biggest developments, views and perspectives from the last few hours:

1. South African firefighters landing in Edmonton warm hearts across a country in crisis

A light during a dark time — as firefighters from across the globe touch down in Canada to aid in battling the raging wildfires, the arrival of 215 South African firefighters in Edmonton on Sunday is lifting spirits in a unique way.

Just minutes off the aircraft and donning their yellow uniforms, the crew performed a traditional song and dance in the terminal.

Captured on video and shared over social media by “Working on Fire,” part of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the post quickly went viral.

"In an awe-inspiring display of resilience and cultural pride, they greeted #YEG with a spirited song and dance in the wee hours of the morning this weekend," reads a tweet shared by Edmonton International Airport.

“Stopppp I’m tearing up in Tim Hortons,” reads another tweet in response to the post.

Twitter user Shagua Pineda added, “Canadians need this energy, this vibe in everyday life. Thank you for coming, brothers and sisters.”

2. Apocalyptic scenes across U.S. East Coast, Washington D.C. issues 'code red' alert

Residents across the U.S. East Coast awoke Thursday morning to scenes that appear to be pulled straight from an apocalyptic movie as wildfire smoke from Canada drifts south, sparking the U.S. National Weather Service to issue air quality statements for much of the Atlantic seaboard.

RELATED: Eerie images of U.S., Canadian landmarks cloaked in smoke

Officials in the U.S. capital have issued a "code red" air quality alert on Thursday, as smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Ontario continues to thicken over the day.

The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment describes the air quality as "very unhealthy" and is urging people to remain indoors if possible.

More than a dozen states in the northeastern U.S. are under similar alerts, with schools in New York City and Washington cancelling outdoor activities.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday afternoon that wildfire smoke is also impacting flight operations across the East Coast with multiple airports reporting delays.

Earlier in the day flight operations at New York's La Guardia and Philadelphia International Airports were halted but have since resumed.

In a Wednesday evening update, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a directive to his administration to deploy “all available federal firefighting assets” to assist in Canada's fight against the rapidly-spreading blazes.

This is in addition to the 600 U.S. firefighters and personnel on route to Canada, as well as water bombers and firefighting equipment.

The White House has been in close contact with the federal government in Ottawa and the American president pledged his continued support in the rapidly-evolving situation.

3. A shot from the top: CN Tower photo shows a view of smog over Toronto

4. GTA residents urged to 'stay indoors' as smoky air blankets region

Air quality statements remain in effect across the GTA with Environment Canada forecasting Air Quality Index projections to reach a 7 or 8, on a 10-point scale.

The federal weather agency says that poor air quality may persist into Saturday in a statement.

As particulate matter carried along by the smoke in the region is recorded at double the recommended value given by the WHO, health experts say it is common for people to experience watery and itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, dizziness, and fatigue.

RELATED: How to protect yourself as air quality conditions deteriorate

Those in areas impacted by wildfire smoke are being urged to stay indoors and limit strenuous outdoor activities. It is recommended that people wear a mask (ideally an N95) to limit the amount of particulate matter that they breathe in and they can even dampen the mask a bit to catch some of the particulate matter.

5. Ontario Premier Doug Ford facing heat over cause of blazes in province

As the number of wildfires in Ontario continue to increase with latest confirmed report bringing total to 34 as of Wednesday evening, the Ford government is faces political heat from the opposition and critics.

Questions regarding the province's preparedness to battle the fires and their origins swirled across the Ontario legislature on Tuesday and Wednesday as the province is already relying on international aid to battle the blazes.

While many have linked the national state of the wildfires to extremely dry conditions, Ford's camp is placing the blame on "careless campers."

"The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry refuses to acknowledge the connection between the climate crisis and these forest fires," said NDP Leader Marit Stiles at Queen's Park on Wednesday.

Ford, in response, doubled down and suggested the source of the fires was lightning strikes and campers, re-iterating that the province has dealt with fires every single year.

6. 'We don't see things through rose-coloured glasses': Fire crews in Quebec battling blazes as evacuation orders rise

Thousands of northern Quebec residents have been forced from their homes as over 160 wildfires are burning in the province with most classified as out of control.

Premier François Legault told reporters in Quebec City on Thursday that northern Quebec and the neighbouring Abitibi region remain areas of concern as there is no rain forecasted until Monday.

The premier announced that 11,400 people have been forced from their homes, with that number anticipated to rise to over 15,000 as evacuation orders are under way for the northern Cree town of Mistissini.

“We’re following all of this from hour to hour, obviously,” Premier François Legault told reporters.

Legault says he hopes to have 1,200 firefighters on the ground in the near future as firecrews from New Brunswick and the United States are in-province battling blazes.The province is currently in negotiations with Portugal, Spain and Mexico for additional resources.

7. Historic Air Quality Index rankings shutters outdoor events

Wildfire smoke blanketing much of eastern North America has prompted the cancellation of outdoor events in Canada and U.S. for the second day.

• Outdoor activities in Toronto have been cancelled or will be moved inside, city officials said.

• Toronto Zoo reduced operating hours on Thursday to limit time outdoors for both animals and staff.

• Toronto History Museums cancel all outdoor programming until the special air quality statement is lifted.

• The National Zoo in Washington — usually open every day except for Christmas – closed today because of the smoke.

• An event celebrating Pride Month on the South Lawn of the White House was rescheduled from this afternoon to Saturday because of the poor air quality in Washington D.C.

8. Canadian Armed Forces deploys soldiers to battle wildfires

Over 500 members of the Canadian Armed Forces along with specialized equipment have currently been deployed across Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia in an effort to battle the wildfires.

Canada's disaster response plans currently involve a multi-step process passing through various levels of government and asking the military to deploy soldiers and equipment.

The unprecedented start to the wildfire season is prompting the federal government to create a new national disaster response agency.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told media Tuesday that a new system may need to be implemented as Canada faces increasing bouts of severe weather.

"We continue to discuss and look at new mechanisms and new ways of doing that," said Trudeau.

9. Wildfires can be spotted from space

Wildfires raging across Quebec and northeastern Ontario are producing plumes of smoke so widespread that they are visible from space.

10. 120,000 Canadians forced from homes in 'scary time'

"This is a scary time for a lot of people," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a press conference in Ottawa on Monday.

Latest figures show over 440 fires are burning across Canada, with over half being deemed "out of control," according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. A further nine million acres of land has been charred since the start of the season, already surpassing the annual average as recorded by the Canada National Fire Database.

As fires in Nova Scotia and Quebec have encroached residential areas, 120,000 Canadians have faced evacuation orders.

RELATED: Haunting visuals of out-of-control wildfires burning across Canada