Dramatic escape from terrifying British Columbia wildfires caught on camera (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
Evacuees escaping wildfires that have spread across swathes of British Columbia filmed their journey as they drove through roads engulfed by flames. Some 14,000 people have been evacuated as 220 active wildfires rage in the provinc
“Oh my goodness, I would go fast,” says the passenger in a video uploaded to Twitter by Sally Aitken. Flames billow on the roadside and smoke fills the air as they drive away from Hanceville.
Video of our escape through the Hanceville fires yesterday evening. Hwy 20 was open & it was still daylight above @JWagstaffe#bcwildfirespic.twitter.com/zE91oOD4dW
— Sally Aitken (@SallyNAitken) July 11, 2017
“We drove through this fire last night on Hwy 20 – terrifying! Tall flames on both sides, black smoke, zero visibility for 10km,” Aitken said.
We drove through this fire last night on Hwy 20 - terrifying! Tall flames on both sides, black smoke, zero visibility for 10 km.
— Sally Aitken (@SallyNAitken) July 10, 2017
The fire we drove through west of Williams Lake BC (Hwy 20) yesterday evening. It was not yet dark - except in the belly of the beast. pic.twitter.com/b5dJIi7S57
— Sally Aitken (@SallyNAitken) July 10, 2017
Around 1,000 firefighters are battling the fires, with 300 from outside the province coming to join them in their efforts, reported CBC.
The situation is expected to worsen on Wednesday when unfavorable winds are expected to pick up.
"We needed to err on the side of caution and make sure people had advanced warning," Cariboo Regional District Chair Al Richmond told CBC. "We normally have days to prepare people and suggest they might want to prepare for evacuation.”
You can help British Columbians affected by the #BCwildfire by donating to the Canadian Red Cross at: https://t.co/3pctFI9dL6
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 10, 2017
