Military on standby as Canada scrambles to quell wildfires ravaging towns

At least 152 fires were active in British Columbia, 89 of them sparked in the last two days

The heat has killed more than 700 people, with the government warning of a ‘long and challenging summer’ ahead

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Multiple people were killed in a house fire in Chestermere, Alberta, on Friday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

Published: 7:10pm, 3 Jul 2021Updated: 9:21pm, 3 Jul 2021

Canada’s government warned on Friday of a “long and challenging summer” ahead as it prepared military aircraft to help evacuate towns and fight more than 100 wildfires fuelled by a record-smashing heatwave.

According to officials, at least 152 fires were active in British Columbia, 89 of them sparked in the last two days. Most were caused by lightning strikes.

The fires were located north of the city of Kamloops, 350km northeast of Vancouver.

Experts believe the heatwave, which has triggered extreme heat alerts in areas where millions of people live, is caused by global warming. The heat has killed more than 700 people in Canada and at least 16 in the US.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met on Friday afternoon with an incident response group that included several ministers. He said he had already spoken with British Columbia’s premier, as well as local mayors and indigenous chiefs in communities under threat.

“We will be there to help,” he told a news conference.

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