Canada wildfires drive hundreds from homes as
more scorching heat forecast
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Wildfires have forced hundreds from their homes
in Canada's westernmost province and officials
warn weeks more of scorching temperatures will
add pressure to fire crews already in the
parched region.

The British Columbia wildfire service said crews
were battling more than 300 blazes, with more
than half of the fires are classified as out of
control. Thousands of residents are under
evacuation alert, readying to leave their homes
at a moment's notice.

"Fire suppression efforts continue to be
challenged due to hot, dry conditions and
localized winds," the wildfire service said in
an update. "A three-week heatwave continues, and
more hot and dry conditions are expected to
continue for most of the province."

Over the weekend, 14 communities in the province
eclipsed or matched daily high-temperature
records. Lytton, a community which was
completely incinerated by a 2021 wildfire,
shattered a 78-year-old record when it hit 41.2C
(106F) on 21 July.

The province's wildfire service said nearly
1,000 provincial firefighters were on the
ground, aided by crews from Nova Scotia and
Ontario as well as New Zealand and Australia.

Hot, dry conditions mean those crews are trapped
in a Whac-A-Mole situation, scrambling to
prioritize attacks on new blazes while tending
to existing fires close to towns and cities. A
spate of lightning strikes have also further
complicated efforts. Officials believe there
have been close to 1,300 strikes in the province
since last week and lightning is believe to be
the culprit in nearly 90% of the current fires.

Still, the vagaries of daily weather mean the
province is faring better than it did last year,
when it endured its worst-ever wildfire season,
with 1.45m hectares (3.6m acres) burned.

In one case, the Donnie Creek fire in northern
British Columbia charred more than 571,000
hectares. The record-breaking blaze was among
the 100 fires that burned into December. This
year, officials say the fire season is more in
line with the 10-year average, which would see
300,000 hectares burned by the autumn.

In neighbouring Alberta, thick smoke from more
than 150 fires blanketed major cities, prompting
air quality alerts. Officials say 7,500 people
are under evacuation orders.

Nearly 900 active fires are burning across the
country, with 352 classified as out of control.



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