B.C. firefighters frustrated with residents ignoring wildfire-prompted evacuation orders, then needing rescue
With resources stretched thin, B.C. firefighters are growing increasingly frustrated with people who refuse to leave their homes during evacuation orders.
Firefighters say they've been forced to divert their efforts putting out flames of wildfires to deal with a different emergency.
It's been an intense season so far, but some British Columbians are still staying behind, choosing instead to keep an eye on their properties.
And in some cases, as the fires close in, they've needed to be rescued.
"I'm aware of at least three situations where we had to divert our resources, either on the ground or in the air, to assist with evacuating people that got caught behind the fire line, and their evacuation route or escape route was cut off," said Rob Schweitzer, director of fire centre operations for the BC Wildfire Service.
In an update Tuesday, the BCWS tried to drive home the unusual severity of this fire season.
Over the past 10 years, there has been an average of 642 fires at this point in the season, burning through an average of 105,000 hectares of land.
So far this year, 1,230 wildfires have scorched 425,000 hectares.
"Across the western side of North America we are seeing these more extreme seasons – longer fire seasons and more intense fires – which is obviously increasing the costs quite significantly to suppress these fires," Schweitzer said.
With a report from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Miljure
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6970035.1721392588!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canadian flights, hospitals, border disrupted during global technology outage
A global technology outage grounded flights, disrupted hospitals and backed up border crossings in Canada on Friday, as issues persisted hours after problems with Microsoft services were said to be getting fixed.
LIVE UPDATES Here's the latest on Canadian impacts of the global IT outage
The latest developments on the Canadian impacts of the global technology outage that is causing massive disruptions to companies and services around the world.
BREAKING LCBO reaches tentative agreement to end strike, stores could reopen Tuesday
The LCBO has reached a tentative agreement with the union representing approximately 10,000 of its employees, paving the way for stores to reopen as early as Tuesday.
'Do not use homemade sunscreen,' Health Canada warns
Health Canada warned the public in an official statement Friday against homemade sunscreen after viral posts showed social media influencers creating recipes for SPF.
opinion Trump's assassination attempt not a political winner
Danger and fear are so pervasive throughout the national political ethos it is now the norm, writes Washington political columnist Eric Ham.
Saskatchewan Party nominee Meghan Mayer withdraws, apologizes for putting child in blackface
A former Saskatchewan Party nominee has apologized for putting a student in blackface.
Ontario woman says she was sold 'crumbling' house despite home inspection
As an Ontario woman put away her China dishes after Christmas Dinner in 2018, she noticed her cabinet doors refused to shut.
How the CrowdStrike global IT outage affected Canadians
A global technology outage linked to a faulty software update has had a ripple effect on Canadians.
Cape Breton moose hunting suspended for 3 years due to 'significant' drop in population
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.