Fires continue to rage in western Canada as well as in California, in the United States.
They come as an unprecedented heat wave has claimed hundreds of lives this week.
As of Friday evening, the number of fires continued to rise in the Canadian province of British Columbia, standing at 152, with 89 in the past two days.
These fires are particularly recorded north of the city of Kamloops, located 350 km northeast of Vancouver.
A thousand people were evacuated Thursday in the province.
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Experts estimate that this heat wave, which triggered heatwave alerts in areas where millions of people live and killed nearly 700 in Canada and at least 16 in the United States, has been amplified by global warming climate.
"The extreme weather conditions that British Columbia has experienced over the past week are a major factor contributing to the increase in the number of deaths," said Lisa Lapointe, Chief Medical Examiner of British Columbia. .
"Unprecedented conditions"
"We will be there to help British Columbia," promised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Ottawa, the Canadian capital, announced Friday evening the establishment of an operations center in the neighboring province of Alberta, also hit by the heat wave, where the armed forces will be able to provide logistical support. Air resources will also be deployed. “The dry conditions and extreme heat in British Columbia are unprecedented,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said during a press briefing, anticipating a “long and difficult summer”.
The village of Lytton, 250 km northeast of Vancouver, now famous for having this week set a national heat record of 49.6 ° C, has been almost completely destroyed.
The 250 residents were evacuated Wednesday evening due to a fire that spread very quickly.
The evacuation order was then extended, overnight Wednesday to Thursday, to residents of around 100 properties north of Lytton.
“90% of the village is burnt down, including the city center,” said Brad Vis, MP for the constituency.
Lakehead (California, United States), Friday.
This house was destroyed by fire.
AFP / Josh Edelson JOSH EDELSON
Lytton resident Jeff Chapman told English-language channel CBC that he watched helplessly as his parents died in the town fire after a utility pole fell on the shelter they were in.
"I can only stress that the risk of fire is currently extreme in almost all parts of British Columbia and I urge British Columbians to listen carefully to authorities and follow directions," he said. asked the Premier of the province, John Horgan.
"The dangerous long-term heatwave will persist"
The heat wave continued across the prairies of central Canada on Friday. In addition to British Columbia, heatwave warnings have been issued for the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, as well as part of the Northwest Territories, and now northern Ontario. "The long-lasting dangerous heatwave will persist" and will continue to cause "very hot" weather for the "next two days", warned the Department of the Environment of Canada, Friday at the end of the day, in several bulletins concerning regions of British Columbia. "The duration of this heatwave is worrying, because there is little respite from the heat at night due to the high night temperatures."
The US states of Washington and Oregon, across the border, also suffocated this week in record temperatures. Hundreds of firefighters struggled Friday to contain three wildfires that devoured more than 15,000 hectares in northern California, including in a tourist area that was preparing to welcome many visitors for the long weekend. end of the national holiday of July 4. Authorities have ordered evacuations along Shasta Lake, an area popular with campers south of the Oregon border. About 40 structures were destroyed, including at least half a dozen homes near Lakehead. Hundreds of lightning bolts have made landfall in California in recent hours, threatening to cause more fires to start.