Tens of thousands evacuated due to wildfires in Canada

Smoke billows from a wildfire in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, August 17, 2023

About 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, while 36,000 are on alert to evacuate, the head of BC’s emergency management agency, Bowinn Ma, told reporters. The city of Kelowna, a population of 150,000, was shrouded in thick smoke. It is also the latest population centre in Canada to be affected by wildfires.

The government has banned tourists from staying in hotels and temporary accommodation in Kelowna and the nearby towns of Kamloops, Oliver, Penticton, Vernon and Osoyoos – near the US border. In addition, BC officials have asked people not to use drones to film the wildfires, as they could hinder the work of firefighters.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with BC Premier David Eby about the wildfires, which are “moving fast and causing havoc,” and pledged federal resources to respond to the disaster. Eby had declared a state of emergency in the province on Tuesday as BC faces its worst wildfire season in history.

Meanwhile, fires in the Northwest Territories have turned the capital, Yellowknife, a population of about 20,000, into a ghost town as residents were forced to evacuate. Winds fanned the fires toward Yellowknife, but overnight rains have eased the situation, causing temperatures to drop sharply. Most Yellowknife residents have left by air since the evacuation order was issued on August 16.

Speaking on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Northwest Territories environment minister Shane Thompson said there are currently only about 1,000 essential workers in Yellowknife and the surrounding area, who are actively setting up defenses against the “fire”, with the support of firefighting aircraft.

Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season ever. Official estimates suggest that more than 14 million hectares of land – an area roughly the size of Greece – have been burned. So far, four people have died in wildfires in Canada.

In the US, thousands of people were forced to evacuate from wildfires in eastern Washington state.

At least one person has died and 185 structures have been destroyed by wildfires in eastern Washington state, according to local media. Evacuation orders have been issued for Medical Lake, a town outside Spokane and next to a US Air Force base, while a section of the main I-90 highway has also been closed.

The fire broke out shortly after noon on August 18 west of Medical Lake. As of the morning of August 19, the fire had spread to 38 square kilometers. The cause of the fire is still unknown, while authorities have yet to control the fire.

According to VNA