Port Alberni declares state of emergency over wildfire
The Vancouver Island city of Port Alberni has declared a local state of emergency due to the growing Mount Underwood wildfire.
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CTV News
16 minutes ago
- CTV News
Evacuation alert ends for St. John's wildfire; officials fear N.S. fire will spread
A happy Eugene Howell takes footage on his phone as a sudden heavy rain shower moves in over Burnt Point, where the road to his evacuated community of Northern Bay is blocked due to the Kingston wildfire, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S — An evacuation alert has ended for thousands of people in towns and neighbourhoods close to a wildfire burning near Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city of St. John's. The provincial government says a wider state of emergency that included the towns of Paradise and Conception Bay South, as well as the St. John's neighbourhoods of Galway and Southlands, has also ended. Roughly 20,000 residents in and around the province's largest city were included in the evacuation alert, which asked residents to be prepared to leave their homes on short notice. In Nova Scotia, officials have declared a state of emergency in Annapolis County, after the Long Lake wildfire grew to about eight square kilometres. Officials say the fire could expand today as hot, dry weather persists. Crews fighting the wildfire are down one helicopter after a Department of Natural Resources aircraft crashed into a lake Friday afternoon. Forest protection director Jim Rudderham says the pilot is doing well but the helicopter is out of commission.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Heavy rain breaks 113-year-old record in Vancouver
An unusual weather system for August is bringing heavy rain to much of the South Coast. It was the wettest Aug. 15 in more than a century at the weather station at Vancouver International Airport on Friday, as heavy rain drenched much of B.C.'s South Coast. According to Environment Canada, 43.2 millimetres of rain fell late Thursday evening and Friday at YVR, close to double the previous daily rainfall record of 26.9 millimetres recorded back in 1912. Records were also smashed in Abbotsford, Squamish, and West Vancouver on Friday, each surpassing their previous Aug. 15 precipitation highs by a wide margin. Abbotsford received 55.8 millimetres, compared to 18 millimetres in 1999, Squamish got 36.8 millimetres breaking a record of 14.4 millimetres from 1988, and a whopping 80.6 millimetres fell in West Vancouver, after a previous high of 38.4 millimetres in 1999. The most rainfall recorded in Metro Vancouver was in Coquitlam, which was drenched with 95.4 millimetres. Port Mellon in the Howe Sound received the highest total in the province with 123.2 millimetres. Possible showers continue to be in the forecast for the region Saturday and Sunday, however all rainfall warnings have been lifted. The 'unseasonably moisture-laden frontal system' was a welcome surprise on the wildfire front, helping reduce fire activity on a major blaze burning on Vancouver Island. In an update Saturday, the BC Wildfire Service said continuing below-seasonal temperatures and variable precipitation will reduce the likelihood of significant fire behaviour. As of Saturday morning, there were 76 active wildfires burning in B.C. and only four were classified as out of control.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Weather conditions cause Long Lake wildfire to double in size
The fire at Long Lake in Annapolis County has grown to more than 800 hectares — nearly doubling in size since Friday — prompting the area municipality to issue a local state of emergency. David Steeves, a Department of Natural Resources public information officer, said at a media conference Saturday that the spread of the fire resulted from changes in humidity and wind that created extreme conditions. "As the day went on and temperatures increased, our relative humidity dropped," he said, "and when that happens, fuels become more susceptible to spread. "That, mixed with a little bit of wind, created for some relatively explosive situations." Steeves said he is worried about Saturday and Sunday as conditions that could fuel the fire remain. Meanwhile, a helicopter pilot involved in a crash on Friday at the wildfire scene is "doing well," the province said in a series of social media posts Saturday. "Our pilot is doing well and we appreciate the outpouring of support from Nova Scotians. Our crews on the ground are doing well and keeping up the fight on the fire." Jim Rudderham, the director of fleet and forest protection for the province, said the helicopter ended up in Fivefinger Lake. He said he could not provide more details on what caused the incident because of an ongoing investigation. The helicopter is out of commission. Two contracted helicopters are part of the firefighting effort at Long Lake today. There are 44 Natural Resources firefighters, another five from P.E.I., and 30 from the local area. State of local emergency As the wildfire near West Dalhousie, N.S., continues to burn out of control, the Municipality of the County of Annapolis has declared a state of local emergency. A news release from the municipality said the measure is being taken to protect the health, safety and welfare of people in the area. "During this time, residents are expected to follow all official instructions and directives from emergency officials," the release says. "The declaration also prohibits the inflation of prices for essential goods and services, ensuring residents have fair access to what they need during this crisis." According to the release, the state of local emergency remains in effect for seven days unless renewed or terminated. A fire in the Upper Hoyt Lake/Lower Hoyt Lake area, also in Annapolis County, is under control. More than 100 houses have been evacuated near West Dalhousie, affecting 215 people. Surprise evacuation One family was surprised to learn they had to evacuate on Thursday. Meghan Yelland and her husband, Michael Zeeman, received an evacuation order to leave their house on Morse Road. "We weren't actually expecting to be evacuated because the fire seemed to be shifting away from us. We couldn't even see smoke," she said on Friday. "And then, at 7:40 p.m., we got the evacuation notice." She is pregnant and due next month, and says she was scrambling to pack essentials from the baby nursery after she received the evacuation order. The couple was able to get themselves and their pets out of the house. They are staying with a friend, waiting for updates on the fire and hoping for the best. The evacuation order currently in place applies to: The Dalhousie Road intersection to 484 Morse Rd. West Dalhousie Road from civic addresses 4530 to 6186. Thorn Road from civic addresses 2648 to 3408. Medicraft Lane with the civic addresses 122, 126 and 126 Unit 2. The wildfire at Susies Lake is under control. Personnel from the Department of Natural Resources and the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services are back on the scene on Saturday.
