Numerous residences were reportedly obliterated as wildfires spiraled out of control near Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada. The authorities issued a mass evacuation order in response. Officials in the western region of British Columbia, where approximately 370 fires are currently blazing, are preparing for additional evacuations due to the forecast of dry lightning and brisk winds in the upcoming days.
In the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories, inhabitants were racing against the clock to evacuate their homes before a noon Friday deadline. This urgency arose as one of the many wildfires raging in the territories drew closer to the city of 20,000 residents.
On Thursday, thousands of individuals fled their homes, embarking on journeys of hundreds of miles to reach safety or queuing for emergency flights. Canada is grappling with its most severe wildfire season on record, showing no signs of abating.
By Thursday, the fire had advanced to within 16 kilometers of the northern outskirts of Yellowknife. Concerns were raised among officials that strong northern winds could propel the flames towards the sole highway leading away from the fire, causing traffic congestion.
Ten planes departed from Yellowknife on Thursday, carrying 1,500 passengers. Jennifer Young, the director of corporate affairs for the Northwest Territories’ Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, indicated that plans were in place for 22 additional flights on Friday, accommodating around 1,800 more passengers.
During a press conference, Shane Thompson, a government minister for the Territories, emphasized that the city was not immediately imperiled and that residents had a safe timeframe to evacuate by road or air. He noted that without rain, there was a possibility the fire could encroach upon the city’s outskirts by the weekend.
Canada has experienced an unprecedented number of wildfires this year, resulting in smog in certain parts of the United States. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported over 5,700 fires scorching more than 137,000 square kilometers (53,000 square miles) across the country. As of Thursday evening, a total of 1,046 wildfires were active nationwide, with over half of them beyond containment.
