Kip Lumquist, who works in a gift shop in Craigellachie, British Columbia, a tourist destination on the highway, said she has seen much of the devastation over the past week.
Lumquist said, “It was insane, we couldn’t see hills, mountains, trees, nothing for maybe two and a half days.” “I drive a white vehicle, and when I got out to get in my car…it was all black…It’s devastating to the community.”
As of Friday, the fire in southern B.C. had grown more than a hundred times in 24 hours and forced the evacuation of more than 2,400 properties.
Flames have destroyed several structures in West Kelowna and officials are warning that the province could potentially face the worst days of the fire season this year.
BC is the cause of more than a third of Canada’s 1,062 active fires currently.
The main utility said about 5,000 customers were also without power in the interior of the province.
The fires have exhausted local resources and aid from the federal government, as well as support from 13 countries, has come. At least four firefighters have died in the line of duty.