B.C. to end state of emergency as wildfire risk winds down
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Sep, 2023 05:12 PM
The British Columbia government says it is ending the state of emergency imposed last month when thousands of residents were chased out of their homes by wildfires.
The government says in a statement the wildfire risk is diminishing in much of the province as temperatures cool, allowing most residents to return home.
The BC Wildfire Service says the the wildfire covers 68 square kilometres southwest of Penticton, with most of the recent growth due to planned ignitions needed to create the control lines. An update from the wildfire service says newly created control lines are "holding well."
Surrey RCMP received the report of shots fired at a taxi in a parking lot in the 14800 block of 108 Avenue. Police attended the scene and found both occupants of the vehicle shot. The passenger, a 30-year-old male died, and the driver of the taxi was transported to hospital with serious injuries.
A forensic composite sketch of the suspect has been compiled. The suspect is described as a Caucasian man in his 20s, 178 cm (5’ 10) tall, slim build, with brown curly hair and a blue/green flower tattoo on right forearm.
Via release, Mounties said approximately 20 minutes after the initial report of shots fired, police received a second report of a shooting in the 9200-block of 163 Street. Similar to the first incident, responding officers located a residence with damage and evidence consistent with a shooting.
On Monday, BC Wildfire Service information officer Bryan Zandberg said winds around the Keremeos Creek fire were light, at about 15 kilometres per hour, which allowed firefighters to make good progress building containment lines.
Via release, the Mounties say the elderly female pedestrian stepped off to cross the street was struck by a vehicle heading west bound on 76 Avenue. She was transported to hospital and remains in hospital in serious condition with life-threatening injuries.