Cooler weather brings hope of relief to Canada's west
Cooling weather on Monday gave firefighters a slight edge against what the prime minister described as "apocalyptic" wildfires blazing across western Canada, after tens of thousands were evacuated or put on alert. Large parts of the scenic Okanagan Valley, including the towns of Kelowna and neighboring West Kelowna in British Columbia, are threatened by fires. Around 30,000 people in the province where 385 fires are now burning – out of almost 1,040 nationwide – remain under evacuation orders. Many of the fires remain out of control, but officials told a news conference on Monday the weather was now on their side. "I'm pleased to say that yesterday was another good day and we continue to see progress made on these wildfires," Kelowna city councillor Loyal Wooldridge said, pointing to no new structures lost in the last 24 hours. "We're not expecting any rapid increases in fire behaviour or spread of any of these fires," added British Columbia senior fire official Jared Schroeder. Temperatures in the major wine-producing region around Kelowna were expected to stay cool through Monday, creeping into the low 20 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. There was also some rain forecast starting Tuesday. Officials said it was too soon to start planning a staged return of evacuees as thick smoke continued to choke the area. The region is also littered with debris, including trees ripped out of the ground by powerful winds, and downed power lines. Several houses have been reduced to rubble and street signs have melted in the heat. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking at a cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to discuss the national fire crisis, said Canadians "are watching in horror the images of apocalyptic devastation." (AFP)