Wildfire fight continues in B.C., with thousands out of their homes and buildings burned to the ground
CBC
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British Columbia's fight against wildfires continued Saturday, with devastating losses as flames continued to tear through homes and communities.
Since Thursday, officials have confirmed the loss of multiple homes and structures in West Kelowna and parts of the Shuswap, but the full extent of the damage has not been tallied as flames continue to burn through the province's tinder-dry conditions, fuelled by wind, drought and hot weather.
The province is under a state of emergency, and travel to B.C.'s southern Interior has been restricted, preventing tourists from using hotels, motels, RV parks and other temporary accommodations in Kelowna and West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon, so they can be utilized for evacuees.
Provincial officials say 30,000 people have been told to leave their homes, and a further 36,000 have been told to get ready to leave at a moment's notice.
Highway 1, a major route through the province, is also closed in at least two places due to wildfires.
Late Saturday, federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan said in an online post that he had approved a request from the government of B.C. for additional support in managing the situation.
He indicated military assets and other resources would be deployed to assist with evacuations and other logistical tasks.
On Saturday, officials with the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) confirmed that two fast-moving wildfires burned down blocks of homes, stores and buildings in multiple communities in the Shuswap region.
BCWS spokesperson Forrest Tower said in an interview Saturday that northerly winds blew the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire into Scotch Creek and as far east as Celista on the north shore of Shuswap Lake, a popular tourist destination about 150 kilometres north of Kelowna.
The fire grew about 20 kilometres in 12 hours, which is among the fastest growth B.C. has seen for a wildfire, Tower said.
BCWS could not confirm the number of homes or buildings that burned down overnight and said it was still assessing the damage in Celista.
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