Canada: Peace in the West on the Fire Front
Weather conditions over the past few days have slowed the fire’s progress for firefighters. Two evacuation orders have been lifted for a few localities.
McDougal Creek Fire in West Kelowna, Canada on August 21, 2023.
AFP
A lull continued Tuesday on the fire front in western Canada, as cooler weather allowed some evacuees to return home, and records for burned area continued to be broken. Nationwide, 15 million hectares were burned, more than the area of Greece and twice the last record for Canada since 1989.
But in the West, residents of the Okanagan Valley, where many cities are under threat, are breathing a little easier. The weather over the past few days has helped firefighters slow the progress of hundreds of fires in British Columbia alone. The province, in the western part of the country, still lists 27,000 displaced people and more than 380 fires.
Two evacuation orders have been lifted for a handful of communities, West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Broland told CBC TV on Tuesday. “It’s a step in the right direction,” he said, speaking of a “tiny ray of hope.”
“Nothing More”
According to the latest estimates by firefighters, 90 buildings have been destroyed in the city of about 30,000 people. “In some areas, the destruction is complete. There is nothing left,” he explained, warning residents that return would be “very difficult.” A total of 200 homes have collapsed in the Okanagan area in a few days, officials said Tuesday. But the firemen said that there was no loss of life in the fire.
In the far north, it’s not too late to talk about the return of evacuees from the city of Yellowknife, but Mayor Rebecca Aldi says she’s hoping for “favorable weather to allow the fire to hit.” The region has seen some rain in recent days, giving firefighters some respite, and more rain is expected Tuesday.
“I know it’s very difficult and the uncertainty is difficult,” he said Tuesday morning, but “the woods are not out” because “the fires are a constant threat.” “We are now discussing the return of evacuees to the Northwest Territories,” Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal told a press conference on Tuesday.
Canada is facing a record wildfire season this year. More than a thousand fires have spread across the affected country from east to west, and more than 650 are out of control.
AFP
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