WATERTOWN, S.D.(KXLG)- Watertown’s & Aberdeen’s overcast skies are not due to clouds but smoke. Almost 90 wildfires are burning in Western Canada, sending a plume of smoke high into the atmosphere south into the United States.

According to Scott Doering, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Aberdeen, the smoke and smell were evident in the Watertown area Wednesday.

The fires had scorched about 1,800 square miles in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, ten times the average area burned for this time of year.

As of Tuesday, 87 wildfires were burning in Alberta, a quarter classified as out of control, meaning the fires were expected to grow.

The cold front could push the smoke closer to the ground, causing problems for people with breathing issues.