Forest fires continued to burn across Canada on Thursday as the country endured its worst-ever start to the wildfire season, forcing thousands of people from their homes and sending a smoky haze billowing across U.S. cities.

About 3.8 million hectares have already burned, roughly 15 times the 10-year average, according to federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair. Warm, dry conditions are expected to persist in the months ahead.

Although wildfires are common in Canada, it is unusual for blazes to be burning simultaneously in the east and west, stretching firefighting resources and forcing the Canadian government to send in the military to help. Hundreds of U.S. firefighters have arrived in Canada to help, and more are on their way.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed climate change. "These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said on Twitter.

Some of the worst fires have sprung up in the eastern province of Quebec, where more than 11,000 people had to evacuate their homes.

Wildfire season started unseasonably early in Alberta last month and burned a record area. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia continues to battle its largest-ever blaze,

In parts of the Pacific province of British Columbia, which is facing the second-biggest wildfire on record, temperatures were forecast to hit 33 Celsius on Thursday before thunderstorms and heavy rains arrive on Friday.

Wildfires have eased in Alberta, the center of Canada's oil and gas industry, but more than 3,000 people remain under evacuation orders, and heat warnings are in effect in the south of the province.

Smoke-forecasting website BlueSky Canada showed wildfire smoke spreading across much of the country on Thursday. The smoke is set to intensify in Ottawa, Toronto, Cleveland and Pittsburgh and remain thick in other cities along the east coast of the United States, including New York City.

On Wednesday, some flights into the New York City area and Philadelphia were delayed and others briefly halted because of reduced visibility from the wildfire smoke from Canada.

(With input from Reuters)