AFPWildfires in the mountains of West Kelowna in British Columbia
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 04:59
The western Canadian province of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency because of the ongoing wildfires. Thousands of people have been evacuated in the cities of Kelowna and West Kelowna, about 300 kilometers east of Vancouver.
According to local authorities, the next 24 to 48 hours will be the most difficult to fight the fire. “In the last 24 hours, the situation has developed rapidly and we face an extremely difficult challenge in the coming days,” the local government said in a statement. Earlier, the airspace was closed to provide space for firefighting aircraft.
In the province, 15,000 people have been given an evacuation order. Another 20,000 people must be ready to evacuate if necessary. “We worked hard last night to protect our community,” said the local West Kelowna fire department chief. Several buildings and structures in the city have been destroyed by the fires.
The northern Northwest Territories are also affected by forest fires. Thousands of people had to drive hundreds of kilometers to safety in the capital Yellowknife. Authorities guided motorists through fire-risk zones. Others had to wait for evacuation flights.
Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record this year. More than 1,000 fires are now raging across the country, 230 of them in the Northwest Territories. The strong wind fanned the fires and made extinguishing operations more difficult.
2023-08-19 02:59:16
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