14,000 forced to flee as British Columbia braces

Authorities in British Columbia were bracing for an even hotter wildfire season late on Tuesday, with more than 14,000 people forced to flee their homes as more than 200 wildfires burned in the western Canadian province.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur is reporting that an additional 10,000 residents of the city of Williams Lake have been put on evacuation alert, and emergency officials warned that conditions forecast for Wednesday, including wind and lightning, have the potential to push fires towards the city at a rapid pace.

The agency said that some 219 fires were burning across British Columbia, with 35 new fires reported Monday, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

Meanwhile, Environment Canada is forecasting hot and dry weather across most of central British Columbia until Friday and the possibility of lightning at the end of the week, creating perfect conditions for fires to spread.

"I think people have to realise this is not going away on the weekend," said provincial Premier-designate John Horgan. "This is going to be the next couple of weeks, perhaps the rest of the summer. And we have to stand together."

More than 1,000 firefighters have been involved, with 300 coming from outside British Columbia. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, have deployed 300 additional officers to help maintain order in evacuated communities. The RCMP also confirmed on Tuesday that at least 10 people have been arrested in connection with looting in the communities of 100 Mile House and Williams Lake.

DPA also said that wildfires hit the western United States this week, with thousands of residents forced to flee their homes in California.