The Wesley Ridge wildfire near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island has expanded to nearly 590 hectares, and smoke is expected to linger across the region through the summer.
Evacuation alerts were issued on June 20 for areas around Dawson City—including West Dawson and properties along the Dempster, North Klondike, Silver Trail, and Top of the World highways—due to multiple out-of-control wildfires.
More properties have been ordered evacuated after high winds fanned a massive wildfire in northeastern British Columbia that is the second largest in the province's history.
As of Tuesday, there were 299 wildfires burning in B.C., with 40 evacuation orders affecting approximately 5,724 people (2,862 properties), in addition to 69 evacuation alerts impacting approximately 32,076 people (16,038 properties).
Looking around the deserted plaza in front of the Sandman Centre arena in Kamloops on Monday, it’s hard to believe that last month it was crammed with thousands of people who were looking for help after being forced from their homes by wildfires.