Thousands forced to evacuate as wildfire ravages Canada’s British Columbia

Canadian authorities are urging all remaining residents of the northeastern province of British Columbia to leave immediately, despite improving weather conditions, after thousands have already been evacuated due to a wildfire which spreads quickly.

The fire, which started Friday, nearly doubled in size the next day, reaching about 4,200 acres. Maps from the BC Wildfire Service showed the fire burning a few kilometers west of the Fort Nelson city limits.

Online images shared by residents showed thick plumes of smoke rising high into the sky with houses in the foreground. In some photos, the mist appeared to cover large areas.

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation issued a joint statement warning those remaining in place that “emergency medical services are not available, nor are grocery stores or other amenities.”

Municipal Mayor Rob Fraser said most of the 3,500 residents of Fort Nelson, B.C., were evacuated, adding that police were going door to door to make sure everyone sort.

He said the Parker Lake fire is one of three major wildfires near Fort Nelson, located in the far northeast of British Columbia, about 994 miles from Vancouver.

Health officials said Fort Nelson General Hospital has been safely evacuated and closed until further notice.

Resident Bud Streeper posted a video update from the area Saturday, saying the winds that caused the Parker Lake wildfire to grow exponentially Friday night diminished overnight, reducing fire activity. fires around the city.

High winds pushed smoke from the fire into parts of neighboring Alberta on Saturday, placing the city of Edmonton under an air quality advisory with danger levels assessed at more than 10 – or “risk very high” – expected.

Meteorologists do not expect rain and have advised people to stay indoors.

Alberta authorities also issued an alert for a wildfire nearly 25 km southwest of the oilsands city of Fort McMurray, which could impact visibility on highways in some areas. No evacuation orders have been given yet.

In 2023, Canada saw a record number of wildfires that also caused choking smoke in parts of the United States and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate across British Columbia.