Smoke from wildfires in Canada have been captured on satellite images of Malta, the Met Office has confirmed.

The smoke, generated by fires sweeping through the vast wilderness of western Canada reached Malta after travelling more than 7,500 km.

The Met Office captured satellite images of the smoke over Malta in recent days, “with the clearest instances of smoke appearing yesterday [Monday],” it said.

The popular Maltese Islands Weather Facebook page first brought the smoke to public attention, saying Tuesday it had been carried from Canada by "several storm systems across the Atlantic, northern Europe and finally the Mediterranean."

The page said the presence of the smoke "serves as a reminder that all that happens in any part of the world, no matter how isolated, eventually affects each and every one of us.”

On Friday, thousands of residents who had been forced to evacuate Jasper, a tourist town in western Canada partly destroyed by a massive wildfire, were able to return home, authorities said.

More than 25,000 residents and tourists had been forced to flee the area three weeks ago as fires intensified, outpacing firefighters' capabilities.

The fire, sparked by lightning strikes in the drought-stricken area, destroyed more than 350 of the 1,100 buildings in the town, which is home to some 5,000 people.

As of Thursday evening, the fire was estimated to be 54 square km in size, the biggest in a century to hit vast Jasper National Park, which attracts some 2.5 million tourists a year.

The fire could burn for months more, authorities have warned, scorching a region known as one of Canada's natural gems, which is famed for its scenic mountains, lakes, waterfalls and glaciers.

Returning has proven difficult for some residents, who came home to discover their town scarred and defaced.

Satellite imagery showing the smoke over the western coast of France and the Balearic Islands as it continues its journey across the Mediterranean. Photo: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3B imagery

"As you enter into the town and see the fire residue, and everything around it, that is when it becomes emotional," Clara Adriano, whose business was destroyed, told public broadcaster CBC.

In total there are 104 active fires in the province of Alberta.

Canada's western region has been hard-hit by wildfires this summer.

Repeated heat waves and dry conditions, both likely linked to global climate change, are believed to be key factors, scientists say.

The fires come almost exactly one year after similar infernos swept through western Canada, forcing continued evacuations in British Columbia.