Canada: Towns, homes evacuated in B.C. as wildfires burn out of control

[DFighter]

The province of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency, as wildfires burn out of control throughout most of the Interior. 

 

"​The extended weather forecast is calling for continued hot, dry weather, with risks of thunderstorms in many parts of the province," the province said in a written statement Friday.

 

The declaration gives emergency resources special authority to deal with the fires.

 

Wildfires burning out of control across the Interior have prompted the evacuation of at least one airport, two hospitals, an entire town and hundreds more homes throughout the region. 

 

The B.C. Wildfire Service said 138 new fires started throughout the province on Friday, many of them started by lightning.

 

Fire near Ashcroft

 

One of the largest fires is near Ashcroft, a town in a dry grasslands area about 120 kilometres west of Kamloops.

 

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a state of local emergency because of the fire, which quickly grew to more than 4,000 hectares from 50 hectares over the course of the day.

Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta said the fire destroyed two airport hangars and all of the 30-or-so homes at a trailer park in Boston Flats, which is about seven kilometres south of the town. 

 

Ranta said the fire has also consumed three or four homes on the Ashcroft Indian Band reserve. 

 

Fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek said 48 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, along with several aircraft. 

 

'It was definitely scary'

 

A reception centre for evacuees has been set up in Kamloops at the McArthur Island Sport Park.

 

The centre's co-ordinator, Gord Davis, said some residents streaming into the centre had to rush to leave their homes.

 

"Some of them are pretty fragile because some of them have seen their home go up in flames and others aren't really sure what they're going to go back to," Davis said. 

 

Fullstory tweets more photo's: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/towns-homes-evacuated-in-b-c-as-wildfires-burn-out-of-control-1.4196041