Wildfire leads to evacuation order in B.C. village that set Canadian heat wave record

A fast-spreading wildfire led to an immediate evacuation order Wednesday night for residents of Lytton, B.C.

Mayor Jan Polderman issued the evacuation order at 6 p.m. local time. It said the wildfire was threatening structures and the safety of residents.

Lytton is about a two-hour drive southwest of Kamloops.

The village, which lists its population at about 250 people as of 2016, smashed a Canadian record for high temperatures three days in a row this week during an ongoing historic heat wave.

Temperatures reached 49.6 Celsius.

Most of Western Canada is still baking in extreme heat from that weather system.

Conditions remain dangerously hot from southern and central B.C. and east through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

B.C.’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says at least 486 sudden deaths have been reported to the B.C. Coroners Service since last Friday amid temperatures in the 30’s and 40’s.