Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Cooler, wetter weather aids B.C. wildfire fight in northeast

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 May, 2024 01:01 PM
  • Cooler, wetter weather aids B.C. wildfire fight in northeast

The BC Wildfire Service says cooler, wetter conditions are allowing crews to make progress in their firefight in the province's northeast where thousands of evacuees remain out of their homes for a second week.

The service says the more seasonable weather is expected to persist until Wednesday.

But it's warning that despite the favourable conditions, much of the province remains "unseasonably dry" due to the ongoing drought.

It says that means fire fuels remain "very susceptible to ignition" and wildfires can spread rapidly.

The service says that most spring fires are typically caused by human activity and is asking people to do their best to minimize this.

The BC Wildfire Service dashboard shows there are 119 active wildfires across the province, 23 of which are known or suspected to have been human-cased, with 11 blamed on lightning.

The online data shows 10 fires are classified as out of control, including the Parker Lake and Patry Creek fires that have been threatening the evacuated community of Fort Nelson

The town and neighbouring Fort Nelson First Nation in B.C.'s far northeast corner were evacuated of about 4,700 people on May 10, with most now waiting out the fires in Fort St. John, 380 kilometres to the south.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C.'s safer supply studied

B.C.'s safer supply studied
Peer-reviewed research is emerging about the possible impacts of British Columbia's safer supply program, which provides prescription alternatives to toxic illicit drugs, with two studies in international medical journals casting the strategy in a different light. 

B.C.'s safer supply studied

Canada to allow 30-year amortization for first-time buyers' mortgages on new homes

Canada to allow 30-year amortization for first-time buyers' mortgages on new homes
The Canadian government will allow 30-year amortization periods on insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers purchasing newly built homes. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement in Toronto today, saying it would take effect Aug. 1. 

Canada to allow 30-year amortization for first-time buyers' mortgages on new homes

Canada needs to build 1.3M additional homes by 2030 to close housing gap, says PBO

Canada needs to build 1.3M additional homes by 2030 to close housing gap, says PBO
The parliamentary budget officer says Canada would need to build 1.3 million additional homes by 2030 to eliminate the country's housing gap. The newly released report looks at how many more homes would need to be built restore Canada's vacancy rate to the historical average.   

Canada needs to build 1.3M additional homes by 2030 to close housing gap, says PBO

Deadly shooting in Edmonton

Deadly shooting in Edmonton
Police say an autopsy shows the victim, 56-year-old Buta Singh, died from a gunshot wound. The suspected shooter, who was 49, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound but has not been named. Police say they're checking to see if the shooting is connected to a string of extortion schemes targeting homebuilders in the city's South Asian community.

Deadly shooting in Edmonton

B.C. plans law allowing police to arrest or ticket over school disruptions

B.C. plans law allowing police to arrest or ticket over school disruptions
Premier David Eby says there has been at least 18 such protests at schools, and the law would stop people from blocking access, attempting to intimidate another person or disrupting school activities, such as banging on classroom windows.   

B.C. plans law allowing police to arrest or ticket over school disruptions

Drinking in public plazas for Vancouver

Drinking in public plazas for Vancouver
Vancouver's city council is extending a program that allows people to drink alcohol in certain plazas until May 2025.  The city says the program has gone ahead successfully for four years. 

Drinking in public plazas for Vancouver