Wildfires are raging in Canada’s British Columbia province. Fire is burning in about 400 places. At least 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
Kelowna, a city of 132,000 people, is under travel restrictions. In nearby West Kelowna, the fire destroyed several homes. BBC news.
Travel restrictions have also been imposed in Kamloops, Oliver, Penticton, Venom and Osoyoos, according to the BBC. Several hundred miles to the north, a huge coil of fire was spreading to the outskirts of the city of Yellowknife.
The authorities’ deadline to leave the city had already passed on Friday. At the end of that day, almost all the residents of the city left the city by car or plane, said a local official. About 19,000 of the city’s 20,000 people have moved elsewhere.
Meanwhile, people were ordered to evacuate 15,000 homes in the province of British Columbia on Friday. At least 30,000 more were ordered to evacuate by Saturday evening. Another 36,000 households have been warned.
British Columbia Prime Minister David Eby said 35,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. Another 30,000 people have been told to prepare to evacuate.
A state of emergency has already been declared in British Columbia due to the severity of the fires. Provincial Premier David Ebi told reporters they were dealing with the worst wildfires in the province’s history. The situation has become unprecedented.
This year’s situation is the worst in Canadian wildfire history. More than a thousand fires are burning across the country.
