Canadian au🦹thorities are urging all remaining residents in the northeastern part of the province of British Columbia to leave immediately🌳, despite improving weather conditions, after thousands have already been evacuated due to a fast-growing wildfire.
The blaze, which started on Friday, almost doubled in size the following da🍌y, reaching about 17 square kilometers (4,200 acres). BC Wildfire Service maps showed the fire burning just a few kilometers (miles) west of Fort Nelson's city limits.
Online footage shared by locals showed thick plumes of smoke risꦦing high into the sky with houses in the foreground. In some photos, haze seemed to cover wide areas.
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipali༺ty and Fort Nelson First Nation issued a joint statement warning people stayinꦕg behind that “emergency medical services are not available, nor are groceries or other amenities”.
The municipality mayor, Rob Fraser, said most of the 3,500 residents in and around Fort Nelson, B.C., have been evacuated, adding that polic꧋e were going door to door to ensure everyone got out.
He said the Parker Lake fire is one of three major w⛎ildfires near Fort Nelson, located in the far northeastern corner of British Columbia, about 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from Vancouver.
Health authorities said Fort Nelson General Hospital has been safely evacuated a🌟nd closed until further notice.
Resident Bud Streeper posted a video update from the area on Saturday, saying that the winds that had whip𝔍ped the Parker Lake wildfire into exponential growth on Friday night diminished overnigꦯht, reducing fire activity around the town.
The high winds pushed smoke from the blaze into parts of neighbouri𝕴ng Alberta on Saturday, putting the city of Edmonton under an air quality advisory with hazard levels rated at 10-plus — or “very high risk” — forecast.
Meteorologists are not anticipating rain and hav😼e advis🏅ed people to stay indoors.
Authorities in Alberta also issued an alert about a wildfire n🍨early 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) southwest of the oil sands city of Fort McMurray that can impact visibility on highways in some ⛦areas. No evacuation order has been given so far.
In 2023, Canada witnessed a record number of wildfires that have also caused choking smoke in parts of the US and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate across Brℱitish Columbia.
