Canadian Wildfire Update

Here’s your Canadian wildfire update, and unfortunately, it’s not a good one.

So far this year, Canada has recorded 4,453 wildfires.

Of those, 3,678 have been brought under control, but 775 fires are still burning.

Currently, 154 wildfires are receiving a full response, meaning they’re being supported with all available provincial and federal firefighting resources. Of those, 57 remain out of control.

British Columbia continues to be one of the hardest-hit provinces.

More than 5,000 people are currently under evacuation orders as crews battle multiple fast-moving wildfires across the province.

The largest evacuation order is centred around the Quilpituk Creek wildfire, where 2,223 properties are under evacuation order and another 425 properties are under evacuation alert.

Further north in the North Okanagan, the Bradley Creek wildfire has forced additional evacuation orders and alerts after destroying numerous homes along the lakeshore.

One of the biggest reasons these fires spread so quickly over the weekend was the weather.

On Saturday, wind gusts in parts of the Kelowna-to-Vernon corridor reached 115 km/h, creating dangerous fire conditions and allowing several fires to grow rapidly.

Unfortunately, the forecast isn’t offering much relief.

Both Kelowna and Vernon are expected to remain hot and dry throughout much of the week, conditions that make it much harder for firefighters to contain existing fires and increase the risk of new ones starting.

For wildfire crews, the weather may prove to be the biggest challenge in the days ahead.

To everyone on the front lines fighting these fires, and to the thousands of people who have been forced from their homes, stay safe.

I’ll continue to keep you updated as the situation develops.