West Kelowna: With the last travel restriction in the area being lifted, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday met with crews battling wildfires in British Columbia’s Okanagan region.
The Prime Minister also interacted with volunteers who are helping evacuees. Almost 200 homes have been either lost or damaged in the past week.
Trudeau said he’s heard extraordinary stories of heroism from those on the ground in British Columbia’s Okanagan region.
He said such events will become more frequent in a warming world and notes insurance will likely become more difficult to obtain.
There are still about 370 active fires burning across British Columbia, including the Stein Mountain blaze near Lytton. It has grown to almost 33 sq km in size.
Fourteen other wildfires are classified as ‘fires of note’ because of their visibility and threat to populated areas.
Rain has helped crews fighting two major blazes that are now being held, but the McDougall Creek fire threatening West Kelowna is still burning out of control. — Canadian Press