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☆ British Columbia lifts most travel restrictions as Canada wildfires ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The restrictions barred non-essential travel to communities in the province's interior including Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops and were due to expire at midnight. The measure will remain in place for West Kelowna. Flames burned nearly 200 homes in Kelowna and West Kelowna, officials said, but conditions were slowly improving even though smoke continued to blanket the province. "I really am beginning to feel like we're turning the corner here on this fire," West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund told a news conference. "...The efforts in partnership with the federal government, with First Nations and others on recovery has started already," British Columbia Premier David Eby told a news conference in West Kelowna.

Persons: David Eby, Chad Hipolito, Jason Brolund, Columbia Premier David Eby, Nia Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: British, REUTERS Acquire, West, Northwest Territories, Flames, Kelowna and, First Nations, Columbia Premier, Thomson Locations: Kamloops, Canada, British Columbia, Kelowna, Vernon, West Kelowna, Northwest, Yellowknife, Kelowna and West Kelowna, Hay River, Fort Smith, Alberta

☆ At Least 50 Buildings Have Burned in British Columbia Wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ian Austen | More About Ian Austen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At least 50 buildings were consumed by wildfires in and around Kelowna, British Columbia, over the past few days, officials said on Monday, warning that the final tally will be higher as their survey of the damage continues. “We’re not done yet, and the most damaged neighborhoods are still to come,” Jason Brolund, the chief of the fire service in West Kelowna, the suburban community most ravaged by fire, said at a news conference on Monday. Attempts by crews to assess the extent of the destruction have been slowed by melted street signs, destroyed address markers on houses and impassable roads, as well as by felled power lines and trees, Chief Brolund said. But since Saturday, he said, a variety of factors have lessened the intensity of the fire, making it easier for fire crews to keep the flames away from buildings. None have been destroyed by the fire for the past 24 hours.

Persons: “ We’re, Jason Brolund, Brolund Locations: Kelowna, British Columbia, West Kelowna

☆ Cooler conditions bring some hope as Canada wildfires rage on
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 21 (Reuters) - Wildfires ravaging Canada's British Columbia province are showing some signs of easing and the weather conditions should improve through Monday into Tuesday, through crews are still battling "epic" blazes, emergency officials said. Blazes are also raging further north as Canada reels from its worst wildfire season on record, which many experts have blamed on climate change. British Columbia, which sits on Canada's Pacific coast, could get some rains this week from Tropical Storm Hilary, which hit California on Sunday, forecasters have said. The air quality index in many fire-affected areas - including Central Okanagan, Eastern Fraser Valley, Kamloops - hit above 10 on Monday, signaling a high risk, the British Columbia government said. Fires continued to burn about 15 km from Yellowknife and it was unclear when they will reach the city, officials said.

Persons: Hilary, Jerrad Schroeder, Jason Brolund, Brolund, Denny Thomas, Michael Perry, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Canada's, U.S ., Tropical, Kamloops Fire, British Columbia, Government, Northwest Territories, Canada's Department of National Defence, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: Canada's British Columbia, Canada, U.S, U.S . Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, California, Kamloops, Central Okanagan, Eastern Fraser Valley, British, New York, U.S . East Coast, Yellowknife, Northwest, West Kelowna

☆ Canada to deploy military in British Columbia to tackle fast-spreading fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Summary British Columbia declares state of emergency after wildfiresFlames have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 peopleAQI of some British Columbia cities at 'hazardous' levelsREVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Canada is sending the military to tackle fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday, as the western province deals with flames that have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 people. In some cities in British Columbia, the air quality index (AQI), which measures major pollutants including particulate matter produced by fires, was above 350, a "hazardous" level, IQAir, a real-time air quality information platform showed. West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said he saw some hope after battling "epic" fires for the past four days. Since 2009, Canada has been spending more on fighting and suppressing wildfires than on maintaining its firefighting personnel and program. In British Columbia, the TransCanada highway was closed near Chase, about 400 km (250 miles) northeast of Vancouver.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jason Brolund, that's, Brolund, Trudeau, Krista Flesjer, Kip Lumquist, Lumquist, Nia Williams, Dan Whitcomb, Nilutpal, Denny Thomas, Mark Porter, Matthew Lewis, Lisa Shumaker, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Columbia, Flames, British Columbia, Kelowna College, ., Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Reuters, U.S ., Canadian, REUTERS Acquire, Government, Thomson Locations: Columbia, REVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Canada, British, Kelowna, U.S, U.S . Pacific Northwest, Washington, Oregon, Squilax, Kamloops, New York, U.S . East Coast, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Chase, Vancouver, Craigellachie, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

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