REVELSTOKE: Canada is sending the military to tackle fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, as the western province deals with flames that have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 people.
British Columbia declared a state of emergency and imposed a ban on non-essential travel to free up accommodations for evacuees and firefighters, and urged drone operators and others capturing images of the fires to stay clear of rescue workers.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said he saw some hope after battling “epic” fires for the past four days. He said conditions have improved, helping firefighters to put “boots on the ground” and dump water on flames that threatened the town of 150,000.
“Things are looking better. We are finally feeling like we are moving forward rather than moving backwards, and that’s a great feeling,” Brolund said. However, he warned of difficult days ahead to contain the McDougall Creek fire.
Trudeau said in a tweet that the federal government will offer support from the Canadian military “to help with evacuations, staging,” and other logistical tasks in response to a request from the British Columbia government.
Forest fires are not uncommon in Canada but the spread of blazes and disruptions underscore the severity of its worst wildfire season yet, which some experts have blamed on climate change.
Just across the border in Washington state, firefighters battled two major blazes, the Gray Fire and the Oregon Road Fire, which combined had blackened more than 20,000 acres of forest and destroyed more than 100 structures.
In Canada, government officials urged residents in evacuation order zones to leave immediately to save their lives and prevent firefighters from dying trying to save them. Officials have not given any estimates of the total number of buildings destroyed.
The Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline and its expansion project, which makes it way to the Pacific coast through the interior of British Columbia, was unaffected by the fires, a company spokesperson said on Sunday.
The fires have drained local resources and drawn in federal government assistance as well as support from 13 countries. At least four firefighters have died.
About 2,000 km to the north, a wildfire burning out of control in Yellowknife, the capital city of Northwest Territories, had triggered evacuations of almost all of its 20,000 residents last week.
The fire is not expected to reach city limits by the end of the weekend, officials said, with some rain and cooler temperatures helping slow its progress.
