Picture of the Day: Reflecting Sunset

The sunset reflected off the wall of glass at Oakridge Park

The last few days the skies were hazy because of smoke from the wildfires in Summerland, British Columbia, about 300km east of Vancouver.

But today blue skies and fluffy white clouds appeared and temperatures were nice at 22 degrees Celsius.

I met friends visiting from Hong Kong for an early dinner in Burnaby, where we gorged on lots of sushi rolls, cubes of tuna sashimi mixed with spinach and miso sauce, spicy scallop rolls, and chicken terriyaki with pan-fried vegetables.

On my way back home I stopped at the intersection of Cambie and 41st Avenue and saw the sun reflected off the massive Oakridge Park development and snapped this pic.

Meanwhile, gas prices have soared these days and I had under a quarter tank left. As I drove to Burnaby, gas stations were posting $2.10 per litre, which was eye-watering and hardly anyone dared to fill up.

To my surprise at the next intersection at Oak and 41st Avenue, Petro-Canada was selling gas at $1.94 a litre. I immediately pulled into the station and filled up.

It's sad that anything below $2 a litre is considered a deal these days...

Wildfires in Summerland Bring Fear and Kindness

The wildfires quickly expanded down to Okanagan Lake

On Friday a wildfire ignited near Summerland, a mostly agricultural area in the Okanagan in southeast British Columbia, which resulted in 20,000 residents evacuating, some with only minutes' notice.

The wildfire, known as the Bald Ridge fire, started 15km northwest of Summerland and grew to 50 square kilometres within three hours. Today it has expanded to over 156 square kilometres.

British Columbia Premier David Eby declared a state of provincial emergency on Saturday, advising those under an evacuation orders should leave immediately.

Air quality has worsened due to severe smoke

"Explosive" is how Cliff Chapman of the BC Wildfire Service described the situation on Saturday.

"When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night," he said at the time.

"I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we have never seen before."

The drought-like conditions this year have resulted in trees catching fire very easily, and strong winds have made it worse. In this case the winds blew the fire down the valley towards Summerland.

There are harrowing stories of escaping: a family was celebrating their little girl's birthday when large chunks of ash began falling down on them. They grabbed photos off the walls and important documents and then fled to Penticton, about 35km south of Summerland.

A farmer evacuated his goats in the middle of the night, while a journalist who literally just moved to Summerland had to flee with her husband and described the experience as surreal.

Many farmers evacuated with animals like goats

Temporary foreign workers from Mexico who are in Summerland to pick fruit had to be airlifted to safety by helicopter, as the road they were on was blocked by fallen trees. 

But at the same time there are many recounting the kindness of strangers, taking evacuees in, taking farm animals or dogs and cats, as their owners cannot keep them in hotel rooms or elsewhere. 

There is also a story of Patricia Robinson, a 90-year-old woman who was trying to fly from Calgary to Kelowna to celebrate her birthday with family. However, the dense smoke forced Kelowna Airport to cancel 40 flights including hers and the plane turned back to Calgary.

However, two men on the same flight offered to drive Robinson there as they too wanted to get to Kelowna, and the trio made the seven-hour drive and had fun along the way too.

"I don't know how my family felt with me embarking on this journey with two strangers, but I just had a really good feeling about the both of them," she said.

"They were just very chivalrous, gallant, young me... my instincts and trusting these two young men were bang on."

It also turns out one of the men had the same birthday as Robinson -- and exactly half her age.

What a birthday to remember!

Hazy Day in Vancouver

The sun gave off an orange tint in the forest

Today the sun in Metro Vancouver gave off a warm burnt orange tint thanks to the smoke from the wildfires burning in Vernon, Boston Bar, and as far as Clinton, over 400km north east of Vancouver.

It's a reminder of the tragic situation residents in these areas are in, having to evacuate, sometimes at a moment's notice because of wildfires rapidly coming their way.

When that happens to you, what do you think of bringing with you? How fast can you pack? Where do you go and stay?

Not many walked outside today

It must be absolutely frightening and stressful to be in that kind of emergency situation.

In the meantime the Metro Vancouver Regional District issued an orange alert, indicating a "very high health risk", particularly for those living in the Fraser Valley, such as Agassiz, Chilliwack and Hope, warning residents in these areas to avoid outdoor activities. 

Here in Vancouver the air quality was deemed at low risk, but when I went out for a walk in Pacific Spirit Park after lunch, there weren't many people there, even though temperatures were comfortable.

Tomorrow the weather forecast is more haze and temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius. Hopefully after tomorrow night the skies will be clear again.

Helping Out a Friend in Need

The wildfires in Los Angeles are still not under control

The Los Angeles wildfires are still raging, with at least 27 people dead and damaged or destroyed over 12,000 structures and displacing over 100,000 residents.

My sister-in-law's family is safe, and another relative was offering their place as a respite for their friend who escaped the fires.

But this evening I found out someone I know has lost her home and only has her son and all her possessions in two carrier bags.

Gu tracked down Ngoy to make a documentary

I interviewed filmmaker Alice Gu in 2020 about her documentary, The Donut King, about the rise and fall of Cambodian refugee Ted Bun Tek Ngoy, who once owned 65 donut shops making him worth US$20 million.

However, once he visited Las Vegas for the first time, he soon became addicted to gambling...

Her film was outstanding, and was awarded Special Jury Recognition for Achievement in Documentary Storytelling at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

Over the years Gu, a Taiwanese-American, and I kept in touch briefly on social media.

This evening on Instagram I saw her friend posted a video, pleading for viewers to donate to a GoFundMe page for Gu. He explained she was a friend for over 26 years, but that she had lost everything in the LA wildfires.

I felt bad making only a small donation, but every bit helps. 

She thanked me for the contribution, and admitted she reluctantly agreed to the GoFundMe page, but that expenses had been adding up.

While it's understandable that it's hard to accept help, I have found over the years that it really does take a village to help; just relying on a friend or relative is not enough financially, emotionally, practically. And as humans we all want to help our community.

I hope people like Gu will eventually get back on their feet bit by bit. And we can all help them do that.

Wildfires Raging in Jasper

Wildfires have entered the town of Jasper and the national park

It is absolutely tragic to see what is happening in Jasper, the town and the national park are on fire. The place is renowned for its picturesque landscape and a must-see place for visitors, but now the smoke has made the skies dark while the burning inferno is ravaging the forest and creeping into the town.

The situation is so dangerous that some crews fighting the fires have been ordered to evacuate.

"[The] air quality had deteriorated to the point that wildland firefighters and others without self-contained breathing apparatuses needed to evacuate to Hinton," Parks Canada said in a statement.

"Structural firefighters remain in town and are working to save as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure, including the wastewater treatment plant, communications facilities, the Trans Mountain Pipeline and others."

There are fears some buildings have gone up in flames and worries that the fire has reached the Fairmont Jasper Lodge. 

Yesterday people living or visiting Jasper told harrowing stories of having only a few hours to evacuate, packing whatever they could and driving out towards British Columbia. Some 5,000 residents have evacuated along with 20,000 visitors, some of whom were hikers in Jasper National Park. 

Meanwhile Premier Danielle Smith sent out a tweet on X saying she is "heartbroken to see reports that the wildfire has entered the townsite of Jasper."

This coming from Smith who has little regard for climate change. Last June when wildfires erupted, she claimed they were ignited by arsonists, whereas experts said climate change has led to the susceptibility to wildfires happening earlier in the season.

Wang Xianli, a fire research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, said at the time climate change is a major factor.

"It creates longer drought spells in the fire season, and also fire season is going to start early and end late," he said. "It creates more opportunity for fire to ignite."

Today firefighters were unable to bring the fires under control, as their various strategies failed, from water buckets from helicopters, fireguards couldn't be completed, water bombers couldn't fly because of the dangerous flying conditions, and controlled burns didn't work.

Smith says her government will have more to say tomorrow... wonder what the excuse will be this time...

Residents Hamper Wildfire Fighting Efforts

Firefighters battling wildfires in Shuswap area

It was shocking to find out that equipment meant to fight the wildfires in British Columbia are being stolen, including all-terrain vehicles, which is hampering efforts to battle the blazes in the Shuswap area, north east of Kamloops, and north of Kelowna.

Pumps, sprinklers, hoses and ATVs have been taken from the North Shuswap area, "critically impacting" firefighters' strategy in battling the wildfires.

The wildfire service posted on social media saying that gear that would protect dozens of homes is being moved to areas where the equipment is ineffective.

Tower says garbage thrown at firefighters

Information officer Forrest Tower said in one case where equipment protecting the wooden Scotch Creek bridge, which provides access for multiple communities, was stolen three times.

He said if the bridge were to burn, communities would have to either rely on boats or make a lengthy trip east if they needed to flee to safety.

"You are not helping if you're moving firefighter equipment. Firefighters are experts, the equipment is put there for a reason," said BC Premier David Eby.

"And when it's not there when the firefighters go to get it, that is a big problem. So please do not tamper with firefighter equipment."

It is unbelievable that people would actually take firefighting equipment when this is a collective effort.

Or is this a bid to sabotage the firefighters?

Many structures lost to wildfires in Shuswap

Tower also told a media outlet that residents who were left behind in Shuswap have thrown garbage at firefighters. There is growing frustration there, as the residents feel there isn't enough manpower fighting the wildfires there, and that firefighters made a critical mistake in trying to fight fire with fire yesterday, which led to the merging of two fires into one ferocious blaze.

It is now estimated at 410 square kilometres in size.

Nevertheless, British Columbians are devastated by the wildfires. They are thankful to the firefighters who are risking their lives to do their best to save whatever they can.

But preventing them from trying to do their best intentions is downright selfish and unconscionable.

 

Wildfires Continue to Burn

Shuswap saw two wildfires merge into one, ravaging homes

There's a lot of relief in Kelowna this evening, as the cooler temperatures and not much wind helped firefighters battle the wildfires much better today, putting them more on the offensive rather than defensive like the last 24-48 hours.

West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund warned when people are able to return to their homes, they will be shocked to see some homes gone, others have fires stopped just before their decks, that's just the reality of the situation. As a result there will be heartbreak for some, and relief for others.

West Kelowna fires under better control today

While there is a bit of reprieve in Kelowna, the Shuswap area was engulfed in flames today, with residents grabbing whatever they could and then fleeing their homes.

Two wildfires had merged into one, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of some 5,000 residents. Evacuees have described it as "explosive" and "a war zone".

Forrest Tower, a fire information officer with BC Wildfire Service, said the Bush Creek fire exhibited "very, very intense, extreme fire behaviour."

He explained while a significant fire would typically move 12 to 15 kilometres per day, the Bush Creek fire "moved 20 kilometres south in under 12 hours."

Anyone who wants to help the evacuees can donate money to the Red Cross, as monetary donations are best at this time.

Vancouver experiencing haze from the smoke

Meanwhile the smoke from these wildfires have reached Metro Vancouver. This morning just before 9am the sun was bright orange in a hazy sky, and I put on a mask while walking to the bus stop and on the bus. It will continue to be hazy for the next few days, with the chance of showers on Tuesday evening and Wednesday during the day.

Showers aren't enough to douse the flames, but at this rate, anything is better than nothing.

With water restrictions in place in Metro Vancouver, we have begun saving waste water in the kitchen to water the plants and trees on our property. It's a wonder we weren't expected to do this earlier... 

Kelowna's Unprecedented Wildfires

Firefighters are overwhelmed by the scale of the wildfires

Following the evacuation of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories because of an impending wildfire, a community about a five-hour drive east of Vancouver is on edge watching the wildfires consume the forests and houses in the Okanagan.

There's West Kelowna and then Kelowna proper which are joined by a bridge over Lake Okanagan along Highway 97.

Fires were burning in West Kelowna and then late last night high winds blew the fire across the narrowest part of Lake Okanagan over to Kelowna.

West Kelowna residents had to evacuate

Many people in West Kelowna grabbed whatever they could and drove across the bridge to Kelowna hoping they would be safe, but in some cases, their friends and family were suddenly under an evacuation alert too because fires were encroaching on neighbourhoods there too.

This morning long time West Kelowna resident Steven Francis had an emotional interview with the host of the early morning Vancouver radio show. He said he had faced evacuation orders before, but the intensity of the McDougall Creek fire was unlike anything he had experienced. 

"It came right to our doorstep, with all its rage and fury and power. And I broke down," he said, pausing and his voice choked.

"I had a moment, and maybe I'm having one now."

Watching the inferno across Lake Okanagan

Even one of the radio hosts based in Kelowna announced an evacuation alert for his own neighbourhood later in the day. One wondered if he even had time to prepare, as he was so focused on giving listeners as much information as he could about the wildfire situation as it evolved so quickly.

It was also heartbreaking to listen to West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund in the afternoon when he said: "We fought hard last night to protect our community. We fought 100 years worth of fires all in one night."

Some listeners called in to talk about their situation, while others profusely thanked the firefighters and emergency response personnel for working so hard to do whatever they could to protect their houses.

When asked what evacuees planned to do for the next few days, they all said they couldn't, that their priority was to get out of their situation and now they could only take it day by day because the wildfire situation is constantly evolving. 

For me, in mid June I visited Kelowna and a handful of small cities in the Okanagan by car and saw first hand the stunning scenery of mountainous areas covered in trees that go in peaks and valleys around the perimeter of Lake Okanagan, a giant lake that is 135km long, and between 4km-5km wide.

Eby declared a state of emergency this evening

At dinner time BC Premier David Eby finally showed up in a televised press conference and declared a state of emergency so that people would evacuate the area to allow firefighters to do their work without distractions. Shockingly there were reports of people flying drones or not heeding calls to evacuate which not only impede firefighters but also endanger their lives.

There are now questions about what the government could have done to mitigate these wildfires, and what it will do for all these displaced people. Over a year after wildfires destroyed a town called Lytton, and yet up till now nothing has been rebuilt. 

Turning closer to home, it makes me wonder -- if there is a fire here, what are the essential items I would take with me if we had to leave our home? Where would we go? It's a mental checklist that needs to be thought of now, not when it's too late.

Canada's North is Burning

Wildfires may reach Yellowknife by this weekend

At dinnertime this evening, we watched the TV as government officials in the Northwest Territories tell residents of the capital city Yellowknife that the wildfires that have been burning are fast approaching and that they need to leave the city by Friday.

"The fire now represents a real threat to the city," said Environment Minister Shane Thompson, adding the wildfire could reach the outskirts of the city by the weekend. He said it was currently 17km away.

Mayor Alty telling people to leave by car or plane

The unprecedented evacuation affects 22,000 residents, while Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty, said there would be planes arranged to take people out while the only road out was open -- but warned people needed to have a full tank of gas to drive out. Most people are driving to Edmonton.

"The window of opportunity right now is going to allow us to evacuate everybody safely," Thompson said, adding, "we need you to do it now," because the fire threatens both air and road access.

Residents were also told not to leave by boat or shelter in a cabin or island on Great Slave Lake, as officials explained the air quality would not be good. In other words, everyone had to leave.

NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane called the situation unprecedented. "There's no other way to describe it," she said.

People driving out of Yellowknife to Alberta

Never in my lifetime did I ever think Canada's north would be on fire and tens of thousands of people would have to evacuate.

But after seeing the devastation in Lahaina in Maui, and the wildfires in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, it seems we were warned about climate change but nothing substantial was done to mitigate it.

Will the planet spare us or will we see more death and destruction soon? 

Picture of the Day: Eerie Yellow Skies

New York City blanketed with smog from wildfires in Canada

The wildfires that suddenly ravaged Nova Scotia last week are coming under control thanks to lots of rain over the weekend. However there are some 150 wildfires in Quebec, and the the result has led to smoke drifting south to the eastern United States.

The skies in New York for example were particularly hazy and smoky, which has resulted in the city's air quality index to be 218, or "very unhealthy" at one point, according to the IQ World Air Quality Index.

Beijing dust storm in 2010

It is currently at 173, which is still "unhealthy", though it is on par with Kuwait at 165 and Baghdad at 155.

The pictures of the yellow skies in the Big Apple remind me of the time I woke up one weekend in Beijing to see the sky was yellow.

Everything outside looked yellow. I wondered if there was something wrong with my eyes, or aliens had landed.

Then after a while, the wind blew the dust away and gradually the skies became blue again.

It was the most bizarre experience.