B.C. wildfires: Images of the devastation
Province has declared a state of emergency
B.C. has declared a provincewide state of emergency, as thousands of people have been forced to flee from their homes.
Above, Kelsey Thorne holds her eight-year-old daughter Nevaeh Porter as they cry while viewing the remains of their home destroyed in a wildfire on the Ashcroft First Nation.
Homes destroyed
By Monday afternoon, more than 14,000 people had been forced from their homes, with firefighters using all available resources to contain the 220 active wildfires burning across the province.
Despite their efforts, these mobile homes in Boston Flats were destroyed on Sunday, as fire burned on a mountain east of Cache Creek.
'The wind changed'
On a dry day, there are three simple words to describe what can dramatically change any wildfire for the worse — and that's what happened over the weekend.
"The wind changed," said Al Richmond, the chair of Cariboo's Regional District.
Hot, dry weather
Weather conditions in B.C.'s Interior are expected to be sunny with temperatures climbing into the high 30s by the end of the week.
Three key factors have created such an intense wildfire season, experts say: hot, dry, windy weather; fuel, usually in the form of tinder-dry vegetation; and ignition, most often either dry lightning or human activity such as discarded cigarettes.
Aid coming
The federal government is sending assistance to B.C., including air support to help firefighters on the ground who are working round the clock.
Animals in danger
Horses that survived a wildfire stand outside a neighbouring home to feed after numerous homes were destroyed by fire on the Ashcroft First Nation.
