About 15,000 households have been instructed to evacuate in Canada's British Columbia due to raging wildfires that have set homes ablaze. Officials have reported a "significant" number of buildings catching fire in West Kelowna, a city of 36,000 people, resulting in the evacuation of over 2,400 homes. The situation has prompted the declaration of a state of emergency for the entire province, where numerous separate fires are currently burning.
In a location hundreds of miles north, a massive fire is approaching the city of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories. Despite an official evacuation deadline passing, nearly all residents have left the city, either by car or plane. The territories' environment and communities minister, Shane Thompson, informed reporters that approximately 19,000 out of the city's 20,000 inhabitants have evacuated. However, some individuals have chosen to shelter in place, although Mr. Thompson urged them to evacuate if they are not essential to the emergency response efforts. He also cautioned that the wildfires could impact the highways and airport.
The scale of the evacuation orders in British Columbia has rapidly expanded, growing from covering 4,000 homes on Friday afternoon to approximately 15,000 within the span of an hour. Additionally, an additional 20,000 homes are currently under alert, indicating the potential for further evacuations. British Columbia's Premier, David Eby, acknowledged the evolving and challenging nature of the situation, declaring a provincial state of emergency. He emphasized the importance of having access to necessary resources to support affected communities. Premier Eby also warned that emergency orders may include travel restrictions to specific areas if people do not adhere to calls to avoid non-essential travel.
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