Firefighters battle Canada wildfires

Fires are behaving unpredictably and proving impossible to control

Firefighters are struggling to contain forest fires that have caused thousands of people to flee their homes in the western Canadian province of British Columbia.

More than 8,500 people have fled three major fires in the region - one south-east of the town of Kamloops, about 150 miles (240 kilometres) from Vancouver, and two in the north.

More than 70 houses and a sawmill were said to have been destroyed by one of the fires in the town of Barriere, about 180 miles (300 km) north-east of Vancouver.

Further south, in the American state of Washington, other large fires are also burning out of control.

No deaths have been reported, although one man, from Barriere, was severely burned after his clothes caught fire while trying to help a neighbour hose down his house, officials said.

Unpredictable

Barriere is completely surrounded by 25 square miles (65 sq km) of smoke and flame.

CANADA FOREST FIRES Many Kamloops locals are opening up their homes to strangers Karen Grant, Canada Read more of your comments

At least one of the blazes is thought to have been started by a discarded cigarette.

Rough terrain is hampering attempts by firefighters to reach the fire itself.

Although authorities are using aircraft to spray water on the fire, conditions are so dry it is taking several attempts by planes to even slow the blaze.

And strong winds are also causing the fires to move at tremendous speed.

The fire has cut power to some areas of British Columbia - which is about the size of Germany and France combined - closed a major highway and halted rail services.

Officials described fires jumping over rivers and behaving in unpredictable ways that they had never seen before - hampering efforts to thwart them.

'Worst situation'

The BBC's Ian Gunn in Vancouver says thousands of people who fled Barriere are now crowded safely into emergency shelters but many say they expect to lose their homes and businesses to the flames.

"This is the worst situation we've had and the driest circumstances that we've measured in the last 50 years," British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell said.

"In all likelihood British Columbians have never lived through a drier forest situation than we are living through this summer."

Our correspondent says the only thing that can slow the fires is heavy rainfall, but none is predicted for at least five or six days.

Are you affected by the wildfires in Canada? Tell us your experience?

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Here are some of your comments.

It's a real shame because it's so beautiful up there... also there are a lot of black bears and wildlife which are going to be affected. You might even see the bears been driven down to the city limits.
Nat, UK

My future brother-in-law and his fiancée were to marry in four weeks' time in the National Park surrounding Kamloops but now that roads have been closed, they have been forced to re-locate their wedding to Vancouver.
Karen Grant, Canada

The planes are so big that it is possible to drive a medium-sized speed boat under the wings while they are floating on a lake.
Rory, England

A month of clear sky and extreme temperature has created perfect conditions for fires to be started by mostly careless individuals, causing destruction of homes, lumber mills, businesses, property and so far the severe injury of one person attempting to help save a friend's home.
Terrance Snider, Canada

Here, in Penticton, we are surrounded by fires, and the sky is white with smoke. No fires locally, yet. And I believe the water bombers are dumping retardant, not water on the Barriere fire.
Katie Arthur, Canada

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