LYTTON, BC — A wildfire amid a record heat wave in western Canada has forced authorities to order residents to evacuate a village in British Columbia that smashed the country’s record for hottest temperature three days in a row this week.
Mayor Jan Polderman of Lytton issued the evacuation order, saying on Twitter that the fire was threatening structures and the safety of the 250 residents of the community, which is 95 miles (153 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver.
He tells CBC News that “the whole town is on fire.”
Lytton’s temperature hovered around 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 Celsius) Wednesday. That was down from Tuesday, when the village recorded a new Canadian high of 121.2 F (49.6 C), breaking the previous highs of 118.2 F (47.9 C) it reached Monday and 115 F (46.1 C) on Sunday.
