Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Lightning sparks about 200 new wildfires across B.C. as heat grips Interior

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Jul, 2023 12:36 PM
  • Lightning sparks about 200 new wildfires across B.C. as heat grips Interior

Hundreds of lightning strikes in many parts of British Columbia almost tripled the number of active wildfires in the province over the weekend, with most burning in central and northern B.C.

The BC Wildfire Service is reporting more than 300 fires, with 87 spotted in the last 24 hours and almost 200 of the total number ranked as out of control.

The wildfire service is bracing for challenging conditions, with lightning storms still in the forecast for most of the week, as well as heat warnings or above-average temperatures through the central Interior.

Of the 13 blazes listed as "fires of note," all but two are located in the Prince George and Northwest fire centres, and the wildfire service says 11 have prompted at least one evacuation order, although no major communities are threatened.

Some of the fires are threatening rural highways, including Highway 27 south of Fort St. James and Highway 77 north of Fort Nelson, while flames first spotted last Thursday near the Yukon boundary now cover 300 square kilometres close to Highway 37, but aren't immediately affecting the link to Watson Lake and Whitehorse.

A wildfire in Yukon has roughly tripled in size since Sunday and remains out of control, charring about three square kilometres of bush in the Ibex Valley, about 30 kilometres due west of Whitehorse, south of the Alaska Highway, prompting an evacuation alert for numerous properties along the route.

B.C.'s wildfire danger was high to extreme across all but small pockets of the province on Monday.

Environment Canada posted a severe thunderstorm watch for the Fort Nelson and Peace River regions, the same area where large fires forced evacuations in July.

The weather office noted daily high temperature records were set in the province Sunday, including a high of 33 degrees Celsius in Fort Nelson, two degrees hotter than the previous record for that northeastern community, set 64 years ago.

Forecasters said Nakusp in B.C.'s southeast also posted a sizzling 37.2 C on Sunday, edging its old mark set 22 years earlier, and while no daily highs were posted in Yukon, that territory remains under heat warnings stretching almost 500 kilometres from its boundaries with B.C. and the Northwest Territories north to Mayo. 

Conditions could ease slightly in B.C. by Tuesday, but Environment Canada said cooler weather was not likely in Yukon for several more days. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Possible B.C. port strike will spare cruise ships, employers say

Possible B.C. port strike will spare cruise ships, employers say
A possible strike by British Columbia port workers will not disrupt cruise ships docked in Vancouver, Prince Rupert or Vancouver Island, employers say. The BC Maritime Employers Association says it and the union representing cargo loaders have "confirmed" that cruise ships will continue to be serviced if a strike starts Saturday morning.

Possible B.C. port strike will spare cruise ships, employers say

Union for SkyTrain workers reaches tentative five-year deal with BC Rapid Transit

Union for SkyTrain workers reaches tentative five-year deal with BC Rapid Transit
The union for more than 1,000 employees of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain service says it has reached a tentative five-year deal with the BC Rapid Transit Co. CUPE 7000 says the new deal was reached after 10 days of negotiations, and includes future wage increases and improved benefits over the last contract. 

Union for SkyTrain workers reaches tentative five-year deal with BC Rapid Transit

Alcohol gets green light on transit in Victoria

Alcohol gets green light on transit in Victoria
B-C Transit had banned alcohol on buses on Canada Day, saying the policy was to ensure customer and driver safety. Signs posted about the zero-alcohol policy told passengers that they might be searched to make sure they are following the rules.

Alcohol gets green light on transit in Victoria

Small plane crash south of Downtown Vancouver

Small plane crash south of Downtown Vancouver
Details are sparse, but investigators with the Transportation Safety Board have been sent to an accident scene involving a small plane south of downtown Vancouver. The accident at the Boundary Bay Airport involved a privately registered Mooney M-20-R single-engine plane .  

Small plane crash south of Downtown Vancouver

RCMP says Lytton wildfire probe still active, two years after village's destruction

RCMP says Lytton wildfire probe still active, two years after village's destruction
The Village of Lytton and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District are suing Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways and Transport Canada, alleging they were negligent to let trains pass through the town during the heat dome. The district says the claim was brought on its behalf by its insurer, the Municipal Insurance Association of B.C.

RCMP says Lytton wildfire probe still active, two years after village's destruction

Series of trailer and skid-steer thefts result in over $150K

Series of trailer and skid-steer thefts result in over $150K
Between May and June 2023, a suspect male has attended various Home Depot locations in Langley, Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam to steal Bobcat510 wheeled skid-steers and trailers. In all five incidents, the suspect rented the skid-steers using a false name, removed the GPS trackers and never returned them.  

Series of trailer and skid-steer thefts result in over $150K