As of Friday, a significant number of homes had been destroyed by a fast-burning wildfire in West Kelowna, while crews braced for what the B.C. Wildfire Service predicted would be the most challenging days of the province's fire season.
While he's seen wildfires in the past, and isn't in an area of Kelowna yet affected by an evacuation order, the prospect of having to pack up his life and flee is on his doorstep, said Groenewegen.
For Chantelle Ludwig, the prospect of having to evacuate with her two-year-old child has her on the edge of her seat. The mental health impacts of natural disasters are front and centre in B.C., and the Northwest Territories, where wildfires have also spurred mass evacuations. Wedlake likens people and their experiences to a book that collects pages and chapters. Overtime, past experiences can affect how people handle new ones, she said.
With the world more connected than ever due to cell phones and the internet, the trauma can extend past places like Kelowna and Yellowknife — where the disaster is happening — and into the minds of people witnessing the disasters, she said.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fire threatens homes near West Kelowna, evacuation orders, alerts issued in KelownaWEST KELOWNA, B.C. — A fast-burning wildfire threatening West Kelowna, B.C.
Read more »
Fire threatens homes near West Kelowna, evacuation orders, alerts issued in KelownaWEST KELOWNA, B.C. — A fast-burning wildfire threatening West Kelowna, B.C.
Read more »
Fire threatens homes near West Kelowna, evacuation orders, alerts issued in KelownaWEST KELOWNA, B.C. — A fast-burning wildfire threatening West Kelowna, B.C.
Read more »
Fire threatens homes near West Kelowna, evacuation orders, alerts issued in KelownaWEST KELOWNA, B.C. — A fast-burning wildfire threatening West Kelowna, B.C.
Read more »
Fire threatens homes near West Kelowna, evacuation orders, alerts issued in KelownaWEST KELOWNA, B.C. — A fast-burning wildfire threatening West Kelowna, B.C.
Read more »
Fire threatens homes near West Kelowna, evacuation orders, alerts issued in KelownaA fast-burning wildfire threatening West Kelowna, B.C., is challenging fire crews as they brace for what the operations director with BC Wildfire Service has predicted will be the most challenging days of the provincial wildfire season.
Read more »