Vancouver rundown for Monday, July 29, 2024.
Hundreds of people who live in the provinces,
Slocan Valley have been told to evacuate as wildfires continue to threaten homes.
The 11 kilometer Malvy Creek fire and the 6 kilometer Ponderosa fire
continued to grow on Sunday.
Many of the evacuees have been placed at Selkirk College near Kasselgar.
Meanwhile, cool wet weather has been helping fire crews
battle many other blazes around the province.
Other news, two more BC hospitals have faced weekend ER closures.
Interior Health advised patients and paramedics
to avoid the emergency rooms in both Merritt and Oliver.
Those in Merritt were redirected to Kamloops on Sunday.
Those in Oliver had to go up the Okanagan Valley to Penticton.
These closures are just the latest in a series of Interior Health ER shutdowns
over the past few years.
Three families have been displaced by a large fire
that ripped through their townhouse units in Chilliwack early Sunday morning.
Crews found flames and smoke coming from one of the homes
when they arrived at the Hodgens Avenue complex at around 3.30.
There were no reported injuries, but firefighters say
some of the smoke alarms may not have been working.
The Walmart in East Vancouver is closed for now
after an arson over the weekend.
The company says a fire was deliberately set inside the store on Saturday.
Clean up and repairs are underway.
Walmart says it will cooperate with investigators
to make sure the arsonist is caught.
Rain for Monday and possible showers on Tuesday.
And then it's back to sunshine and warmer temperatures by Wednesday.
For all the details on these Vancouver area stories,
along with the links, go to vancouverrundown.substack.com.