so much fer the wet pacific northwest

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Wildfires Force Evacuations in Western Canada

 

July 05, 2006 — By Reuters

VANCOUVER — Forest fires in two Canadian provinces have forced the evacuation

of at least 5,500 people living in rural and northern communities, officials

said Tuesday.

 

About 3,500 residents of Tumbler Ridge, in the northeast region of the Western

Canadian province of British Columbia, were ordered out of their homes late on

Monday as a forest fire raged toward the community and crews used heavy

equipment and helicopters struggled to control the 11,000-hectare Hourglass

Blaze.

 

No injuries were reported, and the evacuated residents were given emergency

shelter in neighboring towns.

 

Tumbler Ridge is about 1,150 km northeast of Vancouver, not far from the Alberta

border.

 

The fire, which was burning about 20 km northeast of the coal mining and forest

industry town, was started last week by a lightning strike, according to the

British Columbia Forest Service.

 

Lightning and warm and dry conditions have caused many of the 109 wild fires

burning in northern Saskatchewan -- also in Western Canada -- placing six

communities under evacuation orders and threatening three others, said Steve

Roberts of Saskatchewan Environment during a press conference Tuesday.

 

" Most of those are either just being held or are out of control, " Roberts said

of the forest fires.

 

Over 64 fires affected areas of more than 100 hectares (250 acres) each in size

and 17 fires were estimated at 10,000 ha (25,000 acres).

..

 

More than 1,900 evacuees have been registered, while some people have remained

in the communities in a bid to protect infrastructure, said emergency

coordinator Richard Kent.

 

" We've got fires that have actually encroached to the edge of the communities

themselves, " Kent said.

 

Significant structural damage had not been reported.

 

Source: Reuters

 

 

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