Firefighters In Canada , Make Progress Against Wildfires , Amid Cooler Weather.<br />BBC reports that wildfires in British Columbia, <br />Canada, may be easing after over <br />30,000 people were driven from their homes.<br />According to officials, firefighters <br />have made progress amid cooler <br />weather, but the "battle is not over.".<br />Meanwhile, the government has deployed <br />the military to aid in evacuations. .<br />BBC reports that heavy smoke has continued <br />to prompt air quality warnings across much <br />of Southern British Colombia.<br />As of August 20, the fire covered an area of <br />approximately 101,300 acres, as British Columbia <br />remained under a state of emergency.<br />According to officials, the damage has been<br />"significant" with two communities, Scotch Creek <br />and Celista, both completely devastated by the fires.<br />Canada Task Force 1, a 50-person urban search-<br />and-rescue team, has reportedly been deployed <br />to help assess damage in the Kelowna area.<br />BBC reports that the team is comprised <br />of fire and rescue personnel, <br />police officers, engineers and doctors.<br />Regions including the Eastern Fraser Valley <br />and Central Okanagan have been classified as <br />"very high risk" by Environment Canada due to thick smoke. .<br />The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC) <br />said that 1,037 wildfires continue to rage across the country, <br />with 650 of those still considered to be burning out of control.
