wildfires – Central News Hub

Trudeau addresses wildfires, pledges support for evacuations

Kelowna, a city in British Columbia with a population of about 150,000, has declared a state of emergency amid wildfires, Xinhua news agency reported…reports Asian Lite News

Evacuation efforts continued in western Canada amid incidents of wildfires.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said on social media that the government continues to urgently mobilize resources in the Northwest Territories and stands ready to provide support in Kelowna.

Kelowna, a city in British Columbia with a population of about 150,000, has declared a state of emergency amid wildfires, Xinhua news agency reported.

The City of West Kelowna, with a population of around 36,000, also declared a local state of emergency. Authorities confirmed Friday in a press conference that there had been some structural loss in the city. More than 2,400 nearby properties are under evacuation orders.

In the Northwest Territories, evacuation efforts in Yellowknife continue on Friday. According to local media, 26 evacuation flights have been scheduled out of the city to Calgary. The federal government said it is contracting private planes to supplement military efforts.

The territorial government said the fire remained out of control 15 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife, adding critical and challenging days ahead are expected.

Trudeau convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories and extreme weather across the country.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there were around 1,000 active forest fires in Canada as of Friday, more than 380 of which were in British Columbia and more than 230 in the Northwest Territories.

ALSO READ-California braces as hurricane Hilary intensifies to category 4

Trudeau calls emergency meeting on wildfires

The territory government declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and issued an evacuation order on Wednesday in response to out-of-control wildfires…reports Asian Lite News

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories.

Mass evacuation of areas in the territory is ongoing, including the capital city of Yellowknife, the territory’s largest community with a population of more than 20,000. Residents were ordered to leave by noon Friday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local media.

As the wildfire situation in the Northwest Territories evolves, I touched base with Rebecca Alty – @OurYellowknife’s mayor. We spoke about the situation on the ground, and I reaffirmed our government’s commitment to providing support both now and in the days and weeks ahead.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 18, 2023

The territory government said on Thursday on its website that only residents who do not have the option to evacuate by car are asked to register for flights and that residents with health concerns and a higher risk of severe outcomes are encouraged to register for an evacuation flight to avoid worsening air quality.

The Canadian Armed Forces said on Thursday on social media that they are in Yellowknife and have hit the ground running to provide support and help protect communities from wildfires.

The territory government declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and issued an evacuation order on Wednesday in response to out-of-control wildfires. Local media reported that the wildfires could reach the outskirts of Yellowknife by the weekend.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there were around 1,000 active forest fires in Canada as of Thursday, 236 of which were burning in the Northwest Territories.

ALSO READ: China excludes Canada from list of approved group tour destinations