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Canada to provide federal shelter help as B.C. wildfires displace residents

British Columbia has evacuated about 18,000 people, and the Bald Range wildfire had grown to more than 10,300 hectares by the weekend.

Reported · Written up by our desk · North America

Canada’s federal government will provide support to British Columbia as wildfires force residents to flee their homes, offering shelter and accommodation for people displaced around Summerland and Peachland, according to Reuters.

The Bald Range wildfire prompted British Columbia to declare a provincial state of emergency and evacuate about 18,000 people, and by the weekend it had spread to more than 10,300 hectares as firefighters continued to respond.

Eleanor Olszewski, Canada’s minister of emergency management and community resilience, said she approved a request for federal assistance and directed federal officials, led by the Government Operations Centre at Public Safety Canada, to work with the province to deliver support to those who need it most.

Reuters also reported that, over the past 24 hours, hot and dry weather in southern British Columbia drove continued fire growth, with poor visibility and increasing fires creating new challenges for both aviation and ground crews.

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