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Canada Heatwave: Lytton Resident Reveals Horrific Scenes As Wildfires Ripped Through Town
Around 1,000 residents of Lytton, Canada, had to abandon their homes after suffering the previous day under a record high of 49.6 Celsius.
IMAGE: UNSPLASH
Around 1,000 residents of Lytton, Canada, had to abandon their homes with just a few minutes notice after suffering the previous day under a record high of 49.6 Celsius. According to Independent media outlet, Pierre Quevillon, a Lytton resident, said that nine-foot-high flames were lapping his home when he bundled his two dogs into his truck in a bid to flee the town. Quevillon even ran back inside his home to rescue his cats, however, when he returned to his truck he found it already engulfed in flames, with dogs inside.
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
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toggle caption Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
Alfred Higginbottom, of the Skuppah Indian Band, a Nlaka pamux First Nations government, watches the Lytton, B.C., area wildfire. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP We do know there are some people who are unaccounted for, said Mike Farnworth, the province s public safety minister, though he said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Red Cross were working to locate people.
The main wireless provider for the area, Telus Corp., said Friday it has deployed emergency communications equipment to help authorities and emergency crews dealing with the wildfires.
Officials said it was unclear whether anyone remained in the village 95 miles (150 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver due to a lack of cell service and because it wasn’t safe to enter most of the area.
“We do know there are some people who are unaccounted for,” said Mike Farnworth, the province’s public safety minister, though he said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Red Cross were working to locate people.
Those who escaped the fire scattered to evacuation centers across the province.
Tony Sam said it was “chaotic” driving through thick smoke to Meritt, B.C., about 36 miles (58 kilometers) southeast of Lytton.
Fire Overwhelmed Canadian Town in Minutes, Survivor Says
Voice of America
03 Jul 2021, 10:05 GMT+10
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Officials on Friday hunted for any missing residents of a British Columbia town destroyed by wildfire as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered federal assistance.
The province s Coroner s Service said it had received reports of two deaths related to the fire but had not been able to send coroners in to confirm because the area is still unsafe to attend. It said it planned to send them in on Saturday.
The roughly 1,000 residents of Lytton had to abandon their homes with just a few minutes notice Wednesday evening after suffering the previous day under a record high of 49.6 Celsius (121.2 Fahrenheit).
DEVELOPING. Story will be updated as new information can be verified. Updated 3 times AlertMe
LILLOOET, British Columbia A wildfire that forced people to flee a small town in British Columbia that had set record high temperatures for Canada on three consecutive days burned out of control Thursday as relatives desperately sought information on evacuees.
The roughly 1,000 residents of Lytton had to abandon their homes with just a few minutes notice Wednesday evening, after searing the previous day under a record high of 121.2 F (49.6 C).
The province’s public safety minister, Mike Farnworth, said Thursday afternoon that most homes and buildings in Lytton had been destroyed and some residents were unaccounted for.