British Columbia lifts most travel restrictions as Canada wildfires ease

(Reuters) – The government of British Columbia announced on Tuesday that it would mostly lift travel restrictions to the province’s wildfire-hit interior, as cooler weather and rain helped to suppress fires across western Canada. These restrictions, which had been in place to prevent non-essential travel to communities like Kelowna, Vernon, and Kamloops, were set to expire at midnight. However, travel restrictions will continue for West Kelowna.

Canada is currently going through its worst wildfire season on record. In the past week, over 50,000 people, including the entire population of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, have been forced to evacuate their homes. Although the blazes have destroyed almost 200 homes in Kelowna and West Kelowna, conditions have been gradually improving despite the province being covered in smoke.

“I really am beginning to feel like we’re turning the corner here on this fire,” said Jason Brolund, the fire chief of West Kelowna, during a news conference.

The travel orders were implemented over the weekend to make accommodations available for evacuees and emergency services. British Columbia Premier David Eby mentioned during a news conference in West Kelowna that recovery efforts, in collaboration with the federal government, First Nations, and other agencies, have already commenced.

While visiting the areas severely impacted by the wildfires, Premier Eby noted that active fires still posed a significant threat to many residences. In the Northwest Territories, located 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) north, firefighters guarding Yellowknife have received some help from rain, and the city is not expected to be reached by the blaze in the next three days, according to NWT Fire’s social media post.

However, officials have cautioned that challenging times lie ahead for the communities of Hay River and Fort Smith, situated near the Alberta border, as rising temperatures are anticipated to intensify fire activity.

Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Cynthia Osterman