A week of record hot weather in western Canada has forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes, as wildfires rage in parts of Alberta and rapid snow melt triggers flooding across interior British Columbia.
By Friday, more than 13,000 people were under evacuation orders in Alberta, as 78 fires burned. Among the worst-hit areas was the territory of the Little Red River Cree Nation, which comprises three communities in the north of the province, where the 1,458-hectare Fox Lake fire consumed 20 homes and the police station.
"This is significantly more wildfire activity for this time of year than we have seen any time in the recent past," Tucker told a press conference, adding fires were expected to intensify on Friday. In British Columbia, rivers burst their banks, washing through homes and forcing highway closures in numerous communities across the province's interior, including Cache Creek and Grand Forks.
With heavy rain in the forecast, the British Columbia government urged communities to be prepared for more flooding over the weekend.
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