Milder Weather Brings Relief From 'apocalyptic' Canada Wildfires
Muhammad Irfan Published August 22, 2023 | 12:30 AM
West Kelowna, Canada, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Aug, 2023 ) :Cooling weather on Monday gave firefighters a slight edge against what the prime minister described as "apocalyptic" wildfires blazing across western Canada, after tens of thousands were evacuated or put on alert.
Two fires threatening large parts of the scenic Okanagan Valley, including the cities of Kelowna and neighboring West Kelowna in British Columbia, merged over the weekend.
Around 30,000 people in the province where 385 fires are now burning -- out of almost 1,040 nationwide -- had been under evacuation orders while another 36,000 were under alert to be ready to flee.
British Columbia's emergency management minister, Bowinn Ma, warned that the situation was "highly dynamic." West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund, however, sounded a note of optimism, telling a news conference late Sunday: "We're finally feeling like we're moving forward, rather than we're moving backwards." Temperatures in the major wine-producing region around Kelowna were expected to stay cool through Monday, creeping into the low 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) in the afternoon.
There was also some rain forecast starting Tuesday.
Officials said it was too soon to start planning a staged return of evacuees as thick smoke continued to choke the area.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to discuss the national fire crisis said Canadians "are watching in horror the images of apocalyptic devastation." "It's a scary and heartbreaking time," he said as "people flee for their lives and worry about their communities." This summer in Canada, more than 14 million hectares (34.6 million acres) has already burned -- roughly the size of Greece and almost twice the area of the last record of 7.3 million hectares. Four people have died so far.
Scientists say human-caused global warming is exacerbating natural hazards, making them both more frequent and more deadly.
- 'Horrible to breathe' - Kelowna, a city of 150,000, has become the latest population center hit.
"It has been horrible to spend the week with this air.
It is horrible to breathe," Mary Hicks, a 29-year-old IT worker who had been visiting the region from Montreal, told AFP on Sunday. "I really want to go home." But she was stuck for now, with her return flight canceled. The airport hopes to resume flights this week, depending on visibility.
"When I had to pack, in the moment I was crying, crying, crying," said April, 39, who with her two small children fled her home east of Kelowna and was staying in a hotel outside the city.
On the other side of Okanagan Lake, a number of homes on the outskirts of West Kelowna had been burned.
"My sister's boyfriend's house has burnt down. He lives in the West Kelowna side and it was so windy that the fire was spreading and they couldn't control it," said Bogi Bagosi, a 16-year-old student.
"It's kind of heartbreaking to watch the city burn down. They are doing their best to stop it but it is not enough." The confusion and terror of the fires and evacuations have been compounded by Meta's blocking of Canadian news on Facebook and Instagram, in response to a new law requiring digital giants to pay publishers for articles.
"It is inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of (safety)... and keeping Canadians informed about things like wildfires," Trudeau said Monday.
- Cooler with rain 'a bit of help' - In Canada's far north, crews held back a massive fire threatening Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. They were helped by some rain over the weekend.
Yellowknife -- now a ghost town, except for emergency personnel who stayed behind to build fire barriers and lay out sprinklers -- and many small communities in the near-Arctic region have been evacuated, leaving two thirds of the population of the Northwest Territories displaced.
"With a little bit of help from the weather over the past few days and a lot of good firefighting work we've been able to keep this thing at bay for the time being," local fire information officer Mike Westwick told a briefing.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Servis Tyres Unveils Powerful New Campaign with Global Ambitions
Pakistan launches PAKSAT MM1 to enhance internet connectivity
Vivo V30e 5G Camera Review: Is Sony IMX882 Camera and Aura Light Portrait Worth ..
Sunil Gavaskar offers insight into T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finalists
Pakistan, Azerbaijan to enhance multifaceted cooperation
Defence Minister vows to create world free of terrorism,extremism
Formation Commanders resolve to neutralize threats to security
Haier Deep Freezers: Revolutionizing Energy Efficiency, Freezing Retention, and ..
Interior Minister, London Mayor discuss matters of mutual interest
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 30 May 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 30 May 2024
Team Europe launches new programmes to strengthen skills, energy in GB
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
New volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula: weather office
3 hours ago -
Famous actor Adeeb remembered
4 days ago -
Talat Hussain performed on Rangeela’s voice in film ‘Insan Aur Aadmi’
4 days ago -
Igniting flame of hope for hockey’s revival in Pakistan
4 days ago -
NAPA chairman, BoD condolences Talat Hussain's death
4 days ago -
Ziarat Library - fulfillment of a lost reverie
4 days ago
-
Igniting flame of hope for hockey’s revival in Pakistan
4 days ago -
South Punjab - a treasure trove of culture, heritage
4 days ago -
Unhealthy junk food harming children health
4 days ago -
Culture Minister grieves over death of folk artist Faqir Roshan Jhatial
11 days ago -
Tightening noose around wheat hoarders, exploiters
11 days ago -
Exploring IT potential for economic growth
11 days ago