Canada’s BC declares state of emergency as wildfires surge

Nearly 300 wildfires are actively burning across western province of British Columbia, which saw record heat last month.

The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has declared a state of emergency amid a surge in wildfires that have forced hundreds of people from their homes and could worsen in the coming days. According to a provincial wildfire tracker, 299 blazes were actively burning across BC on Tuesday afternoon, including 18 that were sparked during the previous two days. Mike Farnworth, BC’s minister of public safety, said during a news conference that more than 3,180 firefighters and other staff are fighting fires across the province.