Thousands evacuate as wildfires burn in west Canada – New Europe

Smoke from Canadian wildfires greatly reduced Coulee Region air quality, but conditions improved considerably by midday Tuesday.

More than 200 wildfires are burning across western Canada, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Kevin Skrepnek, chief fire information officer for the province, said there are about 181 active fires in B.C., with 18 fires breaking out Sunday after 38 new fires on Saturday. “But there are also fires in the B.C. Interior so we’re receiving smoke from both ends”.

People with chronic medical conditions are advised to forego strenuous exercise until the advisory is lifted.

Health officials say if smoke becomes thick, people “may want to remain in doors”. “Given the hot and dry conditions in most of the province, we are implementing this provincewide campfire ban to help protect our communities”.

The ash raining down from the Sechelt fire isn’t as much a concern to Henderson as the fine particulate matter being distributed by winds.

“As those fires continue to burn, it will just take the right weather pattern to bring smoke back down this way every now and again”, Miller said.

The Air Quality Health Index, which measures the risk to health on a scale from 1 to 10, showed air quality was worst in northwest areas of Metro Vancouver as of 6 p.m. Sunday. “When events like this happen we’re reminded that that can be reversed very quickly”.

The Boulder Wildfire Complex covers more than 30,000 acres – the Boulder Creek fire tripled in size in one day.

Employees at two pumice mines north of Whistler have also been evacuated, and officials in East Kootenay handed out almost 500 evacuation alerts to campers over the weekend.

Smoke from the wildfires has been drawn into the Midwest over the last several days. “We now have all of our own B.C. wildfire staff engaged in operations”.

Minister Thomson commented again on Tuesday about the Martin Mars water bomber, and a contractual arrangement has been initiated with Coulson Group to use the aircraft on the fires.