AI Generated Image
Residents evacuate as wildfires burn in western US and Canada
apnews.com • • general
Key Points:
- Wildfires across the western U.S. and Canada have forced over 20,000 people to evacuate, particularly in British Columbia's Okanagan Lake region, where fast-moving fires destroyed homes and led to rescues by aircraft.
- In British Columbia, an 80-year-old woman died trying to escape the wildfire, prompting the province to declare a state of emergency and request federal assistance for shelter and accommodations.
- In Washington state, crews continue mop-up operations on three Spokane-area wildfires that have damaged or destroyed about 920 structures, with no current fire growth; a man was arrested for intentionally setting the largest blaze.
- Residents in the rural town of Malden, Washington, previously devastated by wildfire in 2020, remain on alert with evacuation levels downgraded but are urged to conserve water for firefighting efforts.
- Two helicopter pilots died in Utah when their aircraft crashed while fighting a wildfire in Fishlake National Forest; difficult terrain and fire activity delayed rescue access, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
