A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia as massive wildfires ravage the province, forcing residents to evacuate and seek shelter.
On Saturday, the province declared a state of emergency due to hundreds of wildfires, with 15,000 people being instructed to leave their homes. The Yellowknife area in the Northwest Territories and the city of Kelowna in British Columbia have been particularly affected. The entire city of Yellowknife has been evacuated.
Residents watch the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 17, 2023, from Kelowna.
(DARREN HULL/AFP via Getty Images)
Since April 1, approximately 1,818 wildfires have burned around 1.61 million hectares (almost 4 million acres) of land in the province, according to the provincial Wildfire Service. Currently, there are 366 active fires across British Columbia.
The TransCanada Highway, a major east-to-west route, is closed in certain areas due to the fires, causing disruptions in travel. Detours have been made available for motorists, as indicated by British Columbia’s Drive B.C.
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British Columbia’s Premier David Eby described this wildfire season as the “worst” in the province’s history during a news conference on Friday evening. He emphasized the rapidly evolving and unpredictable nature of the situation, urging residents to evacuate if ordered to do so.
A sign ‘Wildfire Reception Center’ seen outside Edmonton’s Expo Center transformed into Emergency Response Center as thousands evacuate Yellowknife and other areas in Northwest Territories, Canada, due to wildfires, on Aug. 18, 2023, in Edmonton’s Expo Center, Edmonton, Canada.
(Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Despite overnight firefighting efforts, the recovery operations were deemed insufficient by the Wildfire Service on Saturday morning. As of Saturday, the fire has scorched nearly 26,000 acres (over 40 square miles) of land.
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West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund described the previous night’s battle against the blaze as one of the toughest in his career, with firefighting efforts resembling the equivalent of a century’s worth of firefighting condensed into a single night.
Evacuation orders were put in place for areas near Kelowna, as the fire threatened the city of around 132,000. Canada is experiencing a record-setting wildfire season, with more than 13.7 million hectares (33.9 million acres) already burned across the country.
(DARREN HULL/AFP via Getty Images)
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