Tens of thousands of people in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have been left wondering when they can return to their evacuated homes, as the battle continues against out-of-control wildfires.
“It is an extraordinarily serious situation,”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a press conference on Aug. 20. “I have to highlight as well, though, that even as we’re seeing those terrible images, we’re also seeing images of how Canadians across the country, particularly out West, are stepping up to help their fellow citizens, their neighbours, residents who are fleeing for their lives.”
In B.C., over 30,000 people are under evacuation orders due to threats from hundreds of wildfires, most in the central Okanagan region. An additional 36,000 have been told to
prepare to evacuate at a moment’s notice.Out-of-control fires are burning on both sides of Lake Okanagan, threatening West Kelowna and Kelowna. While officials have confirmed the loss of homes and structures in the areas of Kelowna and Shuswap, the full extent of the damage has not yet been tallied.
A province-wide state of emergency was declared on Aug. 19,
as Premier David Eby claimed the situation had “evolved and deteriorated” rapidly. Travel has also been restricted to B.C.’s southern Interior for the purpose of staying in temporary accommodations such as a hotel, motel, or campground.
But a day later, the province’s fire chiefs announced that the fight against wildfires around Lake Okanagan had turned a corner, as no more homes in West Kelowna had been destroyed in the last 24 hours and it was now possible to “talk about recovery.” Kelowna fire chief Travis Whiting he was also “very excited” about the advances being made, and that his crews were optimistic.
On Aug. 20, the province announced it was providing food, clothing, and accommodation to evacuees across B.C. through the Emergency Support Services. The federal government has also approved a request from the B.C. government for additional support.
In the Northwest Territories,
no additional flights have been scheduled to bring evacuees to Winnipeg for the time being. More than 19,000 people have fled from the capital of Yellowknife, while others have evacuated from the communities of Hay River and Fort Smith.
With the rainy weather the area experienced over the weekend expected to give way to higher temperatures, wildfire information officer Mike Westwick said in a news conference on Aug. 19 that the fires 15 kilometres away from Yellowknife had “taken a nap” but that it’s “going to wake up.”
