TOPIC: B.C. WILDFIRES
B.C. landowner's arson theory rejected as panel orders him to pay $450K for causing wildfire
A landowner responsible for an open burn that ignited a wildfire in B.C.'s Cariboo region is on the hook for about $450,000 after an appeals commission rejected his claim that the real cause was arson by his neighbours' troubled grandson.
New, fast-growing wildfire threatens more than 2 dozen properties in northeastern B.C.
Properties near Chetwynd in British Columbia's Peace region are under an evacuation alert after a wildfire discovered Sunday grew to seven square kilometres.
Wildfires have lit up home insurance costs. So what's needed to spark an interest in fireproofing?
Spiking insurance rates, similar to what has been happening in American fire zones, have renewed a focus on steps people can take to fireproof their properties. Some say incentives from government and the insurance industry could boost uptake.
Sluggish, confusing disaster relief programs aren't just a B.C. problem, experts say
A watchdog report released in British Columbia this week said that the province's programs were outdated, under-resourced, inaccessible and poorly communicated at the time of extreme flooding and fires in 2021. Experts say it's a familiar story.
B.C. disaster response outdated and inaccessible for evacuees: ombudsperson report
A report from British Columbia's ombudsperson says emergency support programs for those forced from their homes during disasters are outdated, under-resourced, inaccessible and poorly communicated.
2023 is now officially the most expensive, most destructive wildfire season on record in B.C.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says almost 25,000 square kilometres of trees, bush and grassland have burned this year, almost double 2018's previous record, while the cost of fighting fires is now at approximately $770 million.
Canadian marathoner Malindi Elmore achieves Paris Olympic standard in Berlin
Malindi Elmore, a 43-year-old mother of two from Kelowna, B.C., achieved the qualifying standard for the women's Olympic marathon in Paris, finishing 13th among female participants in two hours 23 minutes 30 seconds on Sunday in Berlin.
Destructive West Kelowna, B.C., wildfire that forced thousands from homes is now being held, service says
The large wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in West Kelowna, B.C., and was a key front in the province's most devastating fire season on record, is now being held after raging out of control since mid-August, firefighters say.
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Canadian fire chiefs deliver climate change message to United Nations following devastating season
Fire chiefs from West Kelowna and Halifax spoke in front of world leaders on Wednesday in New York, sharing first-hand accounts of battling devastating wildfires.
Weeks of worry ease as alerts lift for wildfires outside Kamloops, Lillooet, B.C.
As provincial officials warned that drought and flood conditions would threaten the province this fall, residents in an area south of Kamloops can relax as all evacuation orders and alerts related to a nearby fire have ended.
New wildfire evacuation order imposed in central B.C., as more Okanagan evacuees allowed home
The latest evacuation order issued due to a wildfire in British Columbia covers a rural area north of Prince George in a region straddling the boundaries of two regional governments.
B.C. Premier David Eby announces expert task force to better respond to emergencies
As officials tour the province’s Interior, evacuation alerts and orders have been expanded in the central part of the province where wind combined with hot and dry weather are accelerating fires.
Crews battling Okanagan fires are in it for the 'long haul' as heat, drought continue: wildfire service
British Columbia's wildfire service says fire activity could pick up in the Okanagan Valley in the short term and crews are preparing for a "long haul" to contain the destructive McDougall Creek blaze amid ongoing dry, warm weather.
Late-season wildfires are usually caused by people, B.C. officials say, urging public to be vigilant
As nights become longer and the heat of summer begins to ebb, so too does the threat of lightning sparking new wildfires. But that's prompted the B.C. government to urge residents to take care not to extend what's been a record-breaking fire season.
B.C. extending state of emergency due to wildfires as winds expected to fan flames in northeast
Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says British Columbia is extending a state of emergency over the ongoing wildfires that have devastated parts of the province.
Hwy 1 through Fraser Canyon open again following rockfall
An approximately 60-kilometre stretch of Highway 1 in southwest B.C. is back open after closures due to wildfire and then rainfall threat.
Lightning sparks about 40 new B.C. wildfires, but rain may bring relief
A forecast of rain promised relief for some wildfire zones in the south and Interior, but lightning associated with the storms triggered most of the 47 new blazes recorded in the past day, pushing the total number of fires in the province above 400 on Tuesday.
As B.C. burns, wildfire crews struggle to keep flames under control
The province has asked for 1,000 more international firefighters to join the fight in what is shaping up to be the worst wildfire season on record.
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#TheMoment a community rallied after half of the fire crew's homes burned down
A B.C. community has started a fundraiser to support the volunteer firefighters of Wilson’s Landing after more than half of their homes were destroyed in the wildfires.
Number of homes destroyed or damaged by wildfire in B.C.'s Okanagan rises to 189
Kelowna-area officials have updated the number of structures that were damaged or destroyed by the McDougall Creek wildfire over the past 11 days from 181 to 189.
As wildfires still burn, B.C. communities grieve destruction with eye towards rebuilding
Fires have decimated street signs, downed power lines and razed key landmarks that can make it difficult for fire officials to identify and report every individual property that has been impacted across the Central Okanagan and in the Shuswap region northeast of Kamloops.
Look for the helpers: Stories of kindness from B.C.'s wildfires
From air-dropping food for a pig to helping an evacuee see her home is safe, how British Columbians are coming together.
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After eerily similar fires 20 years apart, frustrated experts say advice for Kelowna is much the same
Experts say the eerie similarities between the Okanagan Mountain Park fire in 2003 and the McDougall Creek wildfire last week are a sign that officials haven't done enough work on fire prevention and mitigation in the last 20 years, leaving the next generation even more vulnerable than the last because they're still up against climate change.
B.C. lifts travel restrictions to West Kelowna with fires in Central Okanagan and Lake Country being held
Officials throughout the B.C. Interior are pleading for patience from thousands of people displaced by wildfires, as some evacuation orders were scaled back to evacuation alerts.
181 properties confirmed damaged or destroyed by wildfires in B.C.'s Okanagan region
An estimated 181 properties have been partially or completely destroyed by wildfire in and around West Kelowna, B.C., officials announced Wednesday, saying residents will soon be able to check the status of their homes online.