- Wildfires Ravage British Columbia, Forcing Massive Evacuations
- Kelowna Restricted Due to Smoke; Homes in West Kelowna Destroyed
- Yellowknife Evacuated as Massive Fire Approaches Capital
In the Canadian province of British Columbia, nearly 400 wildfires have prompted the evacuation of approximately 30,000 homes.
Overnight, two massive flames in the Shuswap region merged, destroying residential neighborhoods and other structures.
South of Lake Okanagan, access to the waterfront city of Kelowna has been restricted due to smoke from adjacent wildfires.
Homes in West Kelowna, a nearby city of 36,000, have been gutted by fire.
The travel restriction around Kelowna is intended to guarantee adequate housing for evacuees and emergency personnel. Additionally, it applies to Kamloops, Oliver, Penticton, Vernon, and Osoyoos.
Hundreds of miles to the north, in a different province, a massive fire continues to approach Yellowknife.
Friday marked the expiration of an official evacuation deadline for the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories. Later that day, a local official reported that nearly all residents had departed via automobile or airplane.
Approximately 19,000 of the city’s 20,000 residents evacuated. On Friday evening, 39 patients were relocated from a hospital to other facilities, ending the city’s evacuation.
Some “shelter in place” but Shane Thompson, environment and communities minister, warned neighbours to escape.
In British Columbia, the number of residences subject to evacuation orders increased from 15,000 on Friday to at least 30,000 by Saturday evening. Additional 36,000 residences are on evacuation alert.
The province’s minister of emergency management stated that officials “cannot emphasize enough how important it is to comply with evacuation orders.”
Bowinn Ma added, “They are a matter of life and death not only for the occupants but also for the first responders who frequently return to try to persuade residents to evacuate.”
The province premier, David Eby, stated that 35,000 people were asked to leave and 30,000 to prepare.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season ever, with at least 1,000 fires blazing across the country.
According to experts, climate change increases the likelihood of scorching, dry weather that can fuel wildfires.
Extreme and prolonged heat draws more and more moisture out of the earth, which can provide fuel for fires that can spread with incredible speed, especially if winds are strong.
Although there have been no reported fatalities in the most recent flames, at least four firefighters have perished during this record-breaking season.
