No fewer than 130 wildfires – fuelled by lightning strikes – are burning across western Canada following a record-breaking heatwave, Africa Today News, New York can confirm.
Canada’s federal government has disclosed that it would send military aircraft to assist emergency services in British Columbia battling to control the fires.
Earlier this week, people had to flee the village of Lytton in the province for safety reasons.
Lytton, which recorded Canada’s highest ever temperature of 49.6C (121.3F) on Tuesday, was later destroyed by fire.
The blaze in the village, which is home to some 250 people and located about 260km (160 miles) north-east of Vancouver, forced many residents to leave without their belongings on Wednesday evening.
‘Within about 15 minutes the whole town was engulfed in flames,’ Mayor Polderman told reporters.
Africa Today News, New Yok gathered tha on Friday, the British Columbia Wildfire Service said that 136 fires were active across the province, and that about 12,000 lightning strikes had been recorded the previous day.
‘Many of those lightning strikes were hitting near communities,’ said the service’s director of provincial operations Cliff Chapman.
Hundreds of more residents have been warned they may have to leave their homes.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK