Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. wildfire tally surges as firefighters take to air to battle blazes

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jul, 2024 10:11 AM
  • B.C. wildfire tally surges as firefighters take to air to battle blazes

The numbers seem ever increasing for British Columbia wildfire statistics, including more than 400 fires, tens of thousands of lightning strikes and at least six homes lost.

The homes were in the Venables Valley, and Colton Davies with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District says they were among 20 buildings destroyed by the Shetland Creek wildfire. 

The BC Wildfire Service says recent thunderstorms brought 58,000 lightning strikes, and they expect to see new fire starts from those over the next few days. 

More than 80 per cent of current wildfires were started by lightning and about two-thirds of the fires remain out of control. 

The wildfire service says local planes and helicopters as well as aircraft from the Yukon, Ontario, Quebec and Alaska have joined the fire fight, with almost 100 airtanker missions from July 18 to 21 dropping 5.4 million litres of suppressant.

People using bodies of water near out-of-control fires such as Shawnigan Lake adjacent to the Old Man Lake wildfire on Vancouver Island have been warned to "keep well away" from aircraft either skimming water or operating otherwise in the area.

The B.C. Ministry of Emergency Management says about 470 properties have been ordered evacuated, while another 3,100 properties are on alert. 

These are the facts about British Columbia's wildfire situation, according to the BC Wildfire Service dashboard at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Wildfires of note: Four. Shetland Creek fire, Kamloops Fire Centre; Antler Creek fire, Cariboo Fire Centre; Aylwin Creek fire, Southeast Fire Centre; Komonko Creek fire, Southeast Fire Centre.

Fires started in last 24 hours: 82

Out-of-control fires: 260

Active fire causes: Lightning 80 per cent, human 6 per cent, undetermined 14 per cent (percentages are rounded)

Firefighting staff deployed: 1,170

Aircraft deployed: 193

Area burned since April 1: 8,106 square kilometres 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. motorcyclist dies after crashing into car, falling onto highway

B.C. motorcyclist dies after crashing into car, falling onto highway
Police say a motorcyclist is dead in a crash Wednesday that snarled morning traffic for Metro Vancouver commuters. Police say the truck driver didn't remain at the scene of the crash on Highway 99 near the George Massey Tunnel in Delta, B.C. 

B.C. motorcyclist dies after crashing into car, falling onto highway

B.C. driver dies from injuries days after windshield crash on highway

B.C. driver dies from injuries days after windshield crash on highway
The driver injured when a rock crashed through her vehicle's windshield last week on a Metro Vancouver highway has died. BC Highway Patrol Cpl. Melissa Jongema confirmed that the vehicle's 34-year-old female driver has died of her injuries after the crash on June 6. 

B.C. driver dies from injuries days after windshield crash on highway

Man charged with murder in stabbing death of Vancouver restaurant chef

Man charged with murder in stabbing death of Vancouver restaurant chef
Vancouver police have arrested and charged a 32-year-old man in the stabbing death of a Japanese restaurant chef near the city's Chinatown last week. Police say Timothy Isborn faces a second-degree murder charge following their six-day investigation.

Man charged with murder in stabbing death of Vancouver restaurant chef

Raed Jaser, convicted in Via Rail terror plot, loses appeal

Raed Jaser, convicted in Via Rail terror plot, loses appeal
Raed Jaser had challenged the outcome of the 2015 trial on several grounds, including that his case should have been severed from that of his co-accused, Chiheb Esseghaier – something he requested twice, unsuccessfully.

Raed Jaser, convicted in Via Rail terror plot, loses appeal

Calgary mayor says water restrictions to last at least another week for repairs

Calgary mayor says water restrictions to last at least another week for repairs
Calgarians will have to put up with using pasta water on their plants and confronting droopy, unwashed hair in the mirror for at least another week as repair crews deal with a major water line break, says Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Calgarians were in their seventh day of water restrictions, made necessary after one of the city's two main feeder pipes fractured.

Calgary mayor says water restrictions to last at least another week for repairs

Vancouver port open to recommendations from TSB after seaplane-boat collision

Vancouver port open to recommendations from TSB after seaplane-boat collision
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says it is "certainly possible" that rules surrounding seaplanes operating in the city's downtown harbour could change in light of an aircraft colliding with a pleasure boat on takeoff over the weekend.

Vancouver port open to recommendations from TSB after seaplane-boat collision