Canadian military on standby to help as B.C. wildfire losses mount and thousands flee

By Brenna Owen The Canadian Armed Forces are on standby to help the wildfire situation that deteriorated rapidly over the weekend in British Columbia’s Okanagan region, where one person has died, thousands have been evacuated and there’s been extensive property destruction. Defence Minister David McGuinty said B.C. sent a request for assistance to Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski over the weekend, and she approved federal help with shelter and accommodation. McGuinty said on Monday that while the province had not formally asked for military help, the Canadian Armed Forces were in “direct, constant contact” with the B.C. government and Ottawa. He said the military was ready the moment it received a formal request to act, and the situation was being assessed “hour by hour.” Areas around Okanagan Lake were devastated