British Columbia's government says accommodations for wildfire evacuees are filling up as the flames and smoke from numerous blazes spread, forcing more people from their homes and contributing to an eerie, acrid haze that's blanketing cities in neighbouring Alberta.
The BC Wildfire Service says flames in the hills on the southeast side of Skaha Lake, east of Okanagan Falls, were reported Sunday and had charred an estimated five square kilometres of the rural area within hours.
A statement issued by the wildfire-ravaged Village of Lytton describes how little time residents had to flee and underscores the extreme challenges ahead as the Fraser Canyon community looks to rebuild.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan and two of his cabinet ministers were flown over the devastated community of Lytton on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, where he said there was "literally nothing left" after a wildfire tore through it last Wednesday.
One of two rail companies with routes through Lytton, B.C., says it has resumed service after a wildfire devastated the village last week, a move one First Nations leader says he's willing to do "what's necessary" to stop.
Emergency response staff who are charged with supporting residents threatened by some of British Columbia's largest wildfires paused for a breath on Monday, July 5, 2021, following several turbulent days.