Canada orders 48-hour halt to train movement in parts of B.C. after wildfires

OTTAWA: Canada on Friday ordered trains to cease operations for 48 hours in areas of British Columbia hit by a recent spate of wildfires, including one that wiped out an entire town and killed two people, the transport ministry said in a statement.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra issued the order "in the interest of safe railway operations, and to protect public safety for the temporary return of residents to inspect their homes in Lytton, British Columbia," the statement said. Residents were due to return to Lytton on Friday to see what was left after a fire ravaged the town last week. The blaze started after a heat wave in which Lytton broke Canada's more than 80-year-old heat record with a 49.6-degree Celsius (121.3-degree Fahrenheit) temperature.