Wildfires in Canada spread as evacuations continue

Two bigs forest fires merged this Sunday in western Canada and extend over more than 41,000 hectares, informed the authorities of the british columbiawhile tens of thousands of residents evacuate the area.

“Firefighters are working to stop the progression of the flames (…) in areas where they continue to advance through forests and grasslands,” they said on X (exTwitter).

Northerly winds favored the advance of the fire, which destroyed several buildings in the Shuswap region, a tourist area 500 km northeast of Vancouver.

Across the province, under a state of emergency, some 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and another 36,000 are on alert and ready to evacuate, local authorities said late Saturday.

The city of Kelowna, of about 150,000 inhabitants, 150 km south of Shuswap, continues under thick smoke visible more than 100 km away, according to an AFP journalist. Thousands of people had to leave their homes.

“It was horrible to spend the whole week breathing that air.” 29-year-old Mary Hicks, who had come from Montreal to visit a friend, told AFP on Saturday night. Her flight was canceled and the Kelowna airport remains closed this Sunday to facilitate the work of planes fighting the flames.

“I cried, I cried”

“We stress the absolute importance of immediately following evacuation orders”British Columbia province emergency manager Bowinn Ma said Saturday night.

April, 39, who declined to give her last name, had to evacuate her home with her two young children and is staying at the hotel where she works as a receptionist in East Kelowna, out of the area under evacuation orders.

“When I had to pack, I cried, cried, cried. I was thinking of my family, especially the children.” Explain. April took documents, jewelry, and clothes with her. “This is the first time something like this has happened to me. It was very sad to leave, to leave our house. I don’t know what will happen, but I think our hotel is safe.” he told AFP on Sunday.

The situation is also critical on the other side of Lake Okanagan, in West Kelowna (more than 30,000 inhabitants), where a significant number of homes have been burned, according to the authorities.

federal aid

“Do not go to the areas of the province affected by the fires for tourism or entertainment,” recalled Bowinn Ma in X.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered the deployment of “Canadian Armed Forces equipment and resources to support evacuations”, as well as the approval of British Columbia’s application for federal assistance, in a post on his X account.

The fires also affect northern Canada, including the capital of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, surrounded by outbreaks for several days and where almost all of its 20,000 inhabitants had to be evacuated.

After a respite on Saturday due to rain the night before, temperatures are expected to rise again on Sunday, according to authorities.

“Although the fire is not visible on the surface, it is active and huge”Northwest Territories Environment Minister Shane Thompson said Saturday night.

On the other side of the border, in the United States, several thousand people have had to flee wildfires in the state of Washington, where at least one death was reported, according to authorities.

Canada has faced extreme weather events in recent years, the intensity and frequency of which have been increased by climate change.

The country is experiencing a record wildfire season this year: 14 million hectares have burned, double the last record, which dates back to 1989.

Source: AFP