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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

REUTERS/Dan Riedlhuber/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The fires that tore through the Canadian province of Quebec between May and July were made at least twice as likely by climate change, scientists said on Tuesday. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, also made the fires as much as 50% more intense, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution group, a global team of scientists that examines the role played by climate change in extreme weather. "Climate change is greatly increasing the flammability of the fuel available for wildfires – this means that a single spark, regardless of its source, can rapidly turn into a blazing inferno," said Yan Boulanger, a research scientist at Natural Resources Canada. Scientists reviewed weather data, including temperature, windspeed, humidity, and precipitation, and used computer models to assess how climate change had altered fire weather this year, comparing it to preindustrial climate. The Quebec fires are just one sliver of what has been the country's worst wildfire season on record.

Persons: Dan Riedlhuber, Yan Boulanger, Philippe Gachon, Gloria Dickie, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Natural Resources, University of Quebec, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Thomson Locations: Okanagan Lake, West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian, Quebec, Natural Resources Canada, Montreal, Yellowknife, Territories, London

☆ 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

But that can take time, analysts say, since airlines must manually override automated systems that raise fares in the case of higher demand. Here is a look at how airlines deal with a sudden surge in demand on a particular route. DISASTERS VERSUS HIGH DEMANDAirlines set a range of ticket prices based on factors like purchase timing and demand. They then allocate seats to each fare, explained Chris Amenechi, founder of startup SeatCash, which offers subscribers a product that predicts future flight prices. Travel site Expedia Group (EXPE.O) said air partners set flight prices and availability on its site.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Chris Amenechi, ”, Amenechi, Robert Mann, Mann, Allison Lampert, Doyinsola, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Air Canada, HIGH, CAP, Air, Expedia, Airlines, WestJet Airlines, U.S, Amtrak, Thomson Locations: Okanagan, West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, Yellowknife, Air Canada, Calgary, Maui, Honolulu, U.S, Washington, New York

☆ 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

☆ British Columbia residents on high alert as wildfires force state of emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Chris Helgren | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Pat Kane Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies City of Yellowknife FollowKELOWNA, British Columbia, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of British Columbia residents were on high evacuation alert on Saturday after rapidly intensifying wildfires forced the western Canadian province to declare a state of emergency. By Friday, an out-of-control fire in southern British Columbia grew more than hundredfold in 24 hours and forced more than 2,400 properties to be evacuated. "This is an historic wildfire season for British Columbia," Eby told a briefing. "The state of emergency declaration ... communicates to people across the province the seriousness of the deteriorating situation," Eby said. The escalation in British Columbia comes as the northern Canadian city of Yellowknife evacuated most of its roughly 20,000 residents due to a large approaching blaze.

Persons: Pat Kane, Daniel Eby, Eby, Ismail Shakil, Denny Thomas, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Thomson Locations: Yellowknife, Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Canada, City, KELOWNA , British Columbia, British Columbia, Canadian, Kelowna, Vancouver, British, West Kelowna, New York, Northwest, Ottawa

Aug 18 (Reuters) - A massive wildfire in Canada's western province of British Columbia prompted more evacuation orders early on Friday, as firefighters race against advancing flames to move all residents from the remote northern city of Yellowknife to safety. The evacuation orders were issued after wildfires that were discovered on Tuesday jumped Lake Okanagan, sparking spot wildfires in Kelowna. The massive fire to the northwest of Yellowknife only advanced by around one kilometer on Thursday, officials said, held back by winds. It is now about 15 km away from the city and authorities expect the fires to reach the outskirts of Yellowknife by the weekend. Officials in British Columbia, which has suffered unusually intense blazes this year, warned residents to prepare for extreme fire conditions.

Persons: Nobody, Tebbia Teoncey, Jennifer Gauthier, Mike Westwick, Bowinn Ma, Dan Whitcomb, David Ljunggren, Ismail Shakil, Denny Thomas, Stephen Coates, Sharon Singleton Organizations: British Columbia, REUTERS, Yellowknife, City of, Emergency Management, Thomson Locations: British, Yellowknife, Kelowna, Vancouver, Kelowna ., Northwest Territories, Edmonton , Alberta, Canada, British Columbia, City, City of West Kelowna, Ottawa

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