Mounties are now working to determine the cause of the fire that gutted much of the village of Lytton and left two people dead. Dawn Roberts, the director of communications for the B-C R-C-M-P, says investigators were able to access the village on Saturday. Roberts urges anyone who’s been unable to trace or contact unaccounted family members or friends to reach out to police. But she says Mounties are not currently investigating any active missing persons reports.
The B.C. Girl Guides have stepped up to the plate to help those who have had to evacuate from Lytton, after a wildfire ravaged the village on Wednesday. Girl Guides spokesperson Diamond Isinger says donations of water, games, and food have been taken to the Emergency Operations Center in Spences Bridge, northwest of Lytton. Isinger notes “Our members were able to collect some items that they felt would be of most need at this time. And that included 47 cases of water, some colouring books, and card games for kids, who are being evacuated,” Isinger says the organization often “springs” into action when emergencies occur around the province, because they have girl guide groups all across the province and so when things happen, they want to help. But of course the donation from the Girl Guides would not be complete without one thing — Girl Guide Cookies. They found a few final boxes of Girl Guide Cookies in the Kamloops area, that they were able to have delivered, along with all other donations they received.
It seems some people still haven’t gotten the message that campfires are banned across B.C. Two people who started campfires in the Okanagan — one in Salmon Arm and the other in Vernon — were slapped with fines totaling $2,300 Friday — $1,150 each. The tickets serve as a reminder to abide by the ban, and come as the province continues to grapple with dozens of wildfires amid hot and dry conditions. The ban on campfires was brought in on June 30, with the expectation it will last until at least mid-October. It was implemented after many parts of the province experienced record-breaking temperatures, along with lower-than-average precipitation. The BC Wildfire Service warns that while “anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150,” they could also be required to pay up to $10,000 in administrative penalties. They may even be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to a year in jail if they are convicted in court. The wildfire risk across most of B.C. is currently listed as “high,” with some areas classified as “extreme.”
Mounties are now working to determine the cause of the fire that gutted much of the village of Lytton and left two people dead. Dawn Roberts, the director of communications for the B-C R-C-M-P, says investigators were able to access the village on Saturday. Roberts urges anyone who’s been unable to trace or contact unaccounted family members or friends to reach out to police. But she says Mounties are not currently investigating any active missing persons reports.
Two people had to be air lifted to hospital after falling on the Lower Smoke Bluff Trail in Squamish. B-C Emergency Health Services confirmed that two people appeared to have fallen down an embankment just after 10:30 a-m yesterday. Two air ambulances responded. One person was taken to hospital in critical condition, the other is listed in serious condition.
Environment Canada is investigating the possibility that a powerful storm system that started above the wildfires in the Interior last week spawned a tornado in northern B-C. Meteorologist Doug Lundquist says winds reached peaks of 110 kilometres per hour in the Fort St. John area last Wednesday — the same day that most of Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire. Lundquist says it is not yet clear whether a tornado was responsible for the damage. But Clarence Apsassin (ap-SASS’-in) of the Blueberry River First Nation says he watched a funnel cloud come down during the storm, where outbuildings were tossed around, tiles were stripped off roofs and trees were downed.
Vancouver police say two officers have been stabbed while investigating a 9-1-1 call about the forcible confinement of a child. Constable Tania Visintin says the officers suffered serious injuries after they entered a residential suite this morning on the Downtown Eastside but are currently in stable condition. She says the officers were confronted by a 59-year-old man and one of the officers managed to deploy a Taser during the struggle. Visintin says the man was also taken to hospital and the child is doing well and is uninjured.
British Columbia health officials announced on Monday there have been 87 new test-positive COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 147,790. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there were 30 cases reported from Friday to Saturday, 37 from Saturday to Sunday, and 20 from Sunday to Monday. Broken down by health region, this equates to five new cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 33 new cases in the Fraser Health region, one new case in the Island Health region, 45 new cases in the Interior Health region, one new case in the Northern Health region, and two new cases of people who reside outside of Canada. There were also three more deaths over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 1,759. There are 652 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 85 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, 22 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. As of Monday, 78% (3,613,370) of eligible people in the province over the age of 12 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; 36% (1,668,268) have received their second dose. 145,362 people who tested positive have now recovered.
An evacuation order issued due to a fast-moving wildfire northeast of Oliver have been lifted as the Wolfcub Creek blaze is now classified as “being held.” The Osoyoos Indian Band had declared a local state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of 14 homes last night while other properties were put under evacuation alert. Evacuation orders remain in place for a handful of the nearly 200 active fires currently burning in B-C, including the fire that destroyed most of Lytton and killed two people. Residents have been forced out of 164 homes in the Sparks Lake area north of Kamloops and nearly 700 properties near Deka Lake east of 100 Mile House.
Fashion house Dior is venturing back into in-person shows after more than a year away due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most houses are opting to continue with digital shows and presentations as the couture season gets underway this week. Dior hosted two live fashion shows, where guests wore masks and had their temperature taken at the door. Seats were spaced farther apart than usual, though that was quickly ignored, especially in the front row.