A nearby fire forced the evacuation of approximately eighty campers from Cathedral Provincial Park in southern British Columbia, where they had been stranded overnight.
A co-ordination officer with the BC Wildfire Service, Dale Bojahra, stated at a news conference on Wednesday that an increase in wind speed a day earlier caused a "dramatic increase in fire behavior" by the Casper Creek wildfire and the adjacent Gillanders Creek fire.
Campers Saved From Wildfires in Canada
French firefighters look on as they battle fires north from the city of Chibugamau, Quebec, in Canada on June 12, 2023. Quebec has deployed hundreds of firefighters, with help from France and the United States as Canada is hit hard by unprecedented wildfires that have ravaged the country.
The wildfire service estimates that the combined size of the flames has increased to 100 square kilometers from 11 square kilometers early Tuesday morning. Bojahra observed that the two fires had merged into one, which is now known as the Crater Creek conflagration.
Officials initially stated that the nearby Cathedral Lakes Lodge was not in imminent danger and that the conditions on the rough access road, which included wildfire debris, made sheltering in place the best option for campers and personnel while an evacuation plan was developed.
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen emergency program coordinator Brittany Seibert informed the conference that a route out of the park was cleared by wildfire service personnel on Wednesday, and a convoy transporting the evacuees departed the park around 1 p.m.
Per The Globe and Mail, she stated that the district is aware of one hiker in the area, and search and rescue personnel are actively working to bring them to safety.
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Northern Canada Wildfires
Over 200 wildfires have already ravaged a large portion of the Northwest Territories. Mike Westwick, the region's fire information officer, stated earlier in the day that eight communities containing nearly 6,800 people, or 15% of the Northwest Territories population, have evacuated.
According to officials, numerous highways have been closed, and the territory has experienced the largest evacuation in its history. Personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces are assisting firefighters and have evacuated evacuees using Hercules aircraft.
This year, Canada has experienced a record number of wildfires. As per NPR, over 21,000 square kilometers (8,108 miles) have been consumed by fire
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Ottawa would "assist however we can." As of late Wednesday, the conflagration was 17 kilometers (11 miles) from Yellowknife, the regional capital.
This week, Yellowknife proclaimed a state of emergency, which quickly spread across the vast northern territory as firefighters were forced to draw back in some areas.
Strong winds have contributed to the flames, and evacuation orders have already been issued for various communities and indigenous communities, Manila Times reported.
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