Thousands of Canadians return home after wildfires

OTTAWA: About half of the more than 40,000 people who were evacuated from their homes because of raging wildfires in western Canada have been allowed to return, as the government on Tuesday promised emergency aid.
For nearly three weeks, the forest fires have plagued British Columbia province, from the border with Washington state in the south up to Alaska in the north. About 46,000 people were forced to flee.
While a handful of people went home late last week, provincial emergency services have now given the green light to the vast majority of evacuees to head back.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who met with British Columbia's provincial leader John Horgan in Ottawa on Tuesday, pledged that the government would do "everything we can to help."
"Rest assured, we will help British Columbians as they begin to rebuild," Trudeau said, promising federal disaster aid.
Trudeau said he would visit the affected areas of the province next week, to meet victims and assess the damage.
On Tuesday, more than 150 fires were still burning, with about 100 of them still not under the control of the 3,500 firefighters deployed in the Pacific coast province.
Some 200 water-dumping helicopters and planes are being used in the effort.
The state of emergency first declared on July 7 was extended last week.
Since April, more than 700 fires have charred 3,730 km² of land. — AFP