B.C. wildfires: Fluid conditions prompt evacuations for some, relief for others
The wildfire situation in British Columbia remains fluid as nearly 300 fires are blazing, but even though drought conditions persist in the southern half of the province and fire risk is still extreme, there are some small signs of improvement.
Evacuation alerts covering the Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks and several surrounding areas north of Kamloops have been lifted as crews work to contain a nine-square kilometre blaze.
Elsewhere, an evacuation order posted earlier this week in southeastern B.C. for nearly 200 properties along the Slocan River has been downgraded to an alert for most residents, while Drive BC, an online traveller information system, says Highway 1 north of Hope has reopened - three weeks after it was cut by a wildfire that destroyed the village of Lytton.
But the BC Wildfire Service says that 156-square kilometre blaze is still aggressive on its northern flank, prompting evacuation orders for the community of Spences Bridge and surrounding First Nations.
Evacuation orders have also been expanded around the roughly 20-square kilometre Nk'Mip Creek fire in the south Okanagan and another burning at the north end of Shuswap Lake, north of Sicamous.
Emergency Management BC says more than 5,000 properties across the province are covered by evacuation orders as wildfires have scorched more than 3,600 square kilometres of bush since the start of the season on April 1.
More than 100 firefighters from Quebec arrive in B.C. Friday, while a crew of 100 from Mexico is due on the weekend and a Canadian Armed Forces Contingent is now in the north Okanagan in advance of deployment to various fires.
Ian Meier, executive director with the BC Wildfire Service, told a news conference Thursday there's no immediate relief to drought conditions in southern B.C. but cooler temperatures and precipitation in northern B.C. have allowed officials to move some firefighting resources from that region to areas in the south.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.