In Lytton, they measured 45.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 47.9 degrees on Monday and 49.6 degrees on Tuesday. This was always the highest temperature ever recorded by meteorologists in Canada.
Due to the exceptionally high heat and the related drought, the authorities warned of the possibility of forest fires. There was a fire on Wednesday near Lytton, and according to the local mayor, the flames spread very quickly throughout the city. Residents had only tens of minutes to leave their homes.
People are hard to find
The fire shut down the mobile network in the area and many people do not know where their relatives are after the evacuation. “Our people are scattered north and south, and we’re trying to find out who’s who,” said local official Lilliane Graie, who said the fire had devastated the city.
This was also confirmed on Thursday by the British Columbia Secretary of State for Public Safety Mike Farnworth. MP Brad Vis, who represents the region in the Canadian parliament, wrote on Facebook that the flames had damaged about 90 percent of the city, including its center.
Authorities have warned of the increased danger of forest fires since the middle of the week, with 62 of them breaking out in the last 24 hours, according to official statistics. The fire around Lytton has already engulfed an area of 9,000 hectares, which roughly corresponds to the area of Ústí nad Labem.
British Columbia Prime Minister John Hrogan said on television that a fire near Lytton may have ignited the train, but that it is too early to draw definitive conclusions. “Lytton has been devastated and extraordinary efforts will be needed to restore this historic site,” he said.
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