Three months after the evacuation of Telegraph Creek, B.C., residents are being allowed to return home. The Telegraph Creek community lost 21 homes, two businesses, and several community buildings in the wildfire. All evacuees should be back by December 20.
A private firefighting crew left the area of Burns Lake without ever unloading their trucks. Stating that the water source was not adequate for their equipment, the firefighting crew left. In spite of evacuation orders, over 100 locals are fighting the fires on their own.
Members of several First Nations in Northern B.C. are refusing to evacuate in spite of encroaching wildfires. Several dozen residents of the Nadleh Whut'en First Nation stayed behind to protect their homes from the Shovel Lake wildfire, which continues to grow.
More than 550 wildfires are burning in British Columbia. Fire officials in BC are responsible for the region during wildfires, but the federal government is responsible for First Nations. Because of this disconnect between government agencies, evacuation orders may be delayed.
Evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Ontario as wildfires tear through the land. Last year, 190 wildfires were reported by the province, but over 800 have been reported already this year.
Currently, 130 wildfires are still burning in British Columbia, with smoke reaching Washington State. August is usually the worst month for wildfires. While some residents have been allowed to return home, others are still being evacuated.
Researchers are working with First Nations communities to understand what happens to Indigenous people during an evacuation.
In Williams Lake, British Columbia, more than 10,000 people are under an evacuation alert. As wildfires rage out of control, firefighters prepare for lightening and high winds to complicate an already dangerous situation.
By Sunday evening, more than 7000 people had been ordered to evacuate to escape wildfires that rage across southern and central British Columbia.