Officials in the city of Tumbler Ridge, in the northeast of British Columbia, ordered the evacuation of the said city due to wildfires affecting the country.
“On June 8, due to a wildfire in the West Kiskatinaw River, an evacuation order was issued for Tumbler Ridge,” the authority said, adding that the fire affected Highway 52 north and then east.
Canadian authorities ordered the evacuation of 2,400 people from the city after flames approached three kilometers from Tumbler Ridge, about 1,100 km north of downtown Vancouver.
“Emergency staff were placed at the local community centre. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and fire services patrolled to ensure safety. About 3 kilometers from Tumbler Ridge, the wind changed direction to push the fire parallel to the ridge,” said the message issued by the district.
Thanking Tumbler Ridge residents for their quick and orderly evacuation, the district expressed its gratitude to “the emergency responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community.”
The Tumblr Ridge fire is one of 73 that are active in British Columbia as of this Friday, while the province of Quebec is reeling with a similar number of 200 wildfires.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC), about 2,392 fires have been reported in Canada so far this year and 4.4 million hectares have been burned.
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