Authorities in British Columbia Canada are urging all remaining residents in Fort Nelson to leave immediately, despite improving weather conditions, after many were already evacuated due to a fast-growing wildfires.

The blaze, which started Friday, almost doubled in size the following day, reaching about 17 square kilometers (4,200 acres). BC Wildfire Service maps showed the fire burning just a few kilometers (miles) west of Fort Nelson’s city limits.

Fort Nelson is located in the far northeastern corner of British Columbia, about 1,600 kilometers (995 miles) from Vancouver. Fort Nelson and the Fort Nelson Indian Reserve have a combined population of about 3,000.

In 2023, Canada witnessed a record number of wildfires that also caused choking smoke in parts of the U.S. and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate across British Columbia.

Authorities in Alberta also issued an alert about a wildfire nearly 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) southwest of the oil sands city of Fort McMurray that could impact visibility on highways in some areas. No evacuation order has been given so far for the major Canadian oil city.

In 2016, more than 80,000 people evacuated from Fort McMurray, in the heart of Canada’s oil sands, as a fire torched 1,600 homes and other buildings. The high winds pushed smoke across Alberta on Saturday, putting the city of Edmonton under an air quality advisory with hazard levels rated at 10-plus — or “very high risk” — forecast.

Meteorologists are not anticipating rain and have advised people to stay indoors.

Online footage shared by locals from the Fort Nelson wildfire showed thick plumes of smoke rising high into the sky, with houses in the foreground. In some photos, haze seemed to cover wide areas.

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation issued a joint statement warning people choosing to stay that “emergency medical services are not available, nor are groceries or other amenities.”

The municipality mayor, Rob Fraser, said most of the residents in and around Fort Nelson have been evacuated, adding that police were going door to door to ensure everyone got out.

Health authorities said Fort Nelson General Hospital has been safely evacuated and closed until further notice.

Annual Wildfires in British Columbia

Wildfires are not new to British Columbia; they occur every year. Every year, hundreds of fires break out, some caused by lightning strikes, others by human negligence. As the temperature warms, fire seasons get longer and more intense. Without quick action, wildfires will only intensify, according to experts.

Combating these infernos comes at a startling cost. British Columbia spends millions of dollars deploying troops, aircraft, and equipment. Fires devastate wildlife habitats and emit enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Economies suffer as tourism declines and companies close during evacuations.

Regardless of the obstacles, BC fights hard. Firefighters have intensive training. Advanced modeling predicts fire behavior. Public education increases awareness. Nonetheless, the fires continue to spread, fueled by heat and drought. Wildfires have become British Columbia’s yearly summer scourge, and there is no end in sight.

Former President Donald Trump attended a rally in New Jersey on Saturday, again blaming President Joe Biden for the court cases he is facing as the probable Republican nominees prepare to square off in the November 2024 presidential election.

Blasting President Biden as “a total moron,” Trump repeatedly described the cases against him as politically motivated and timed to hurt his campaigning ability in front of a gathering of almost 100,000 people.

“He is a fool. “He’s not a smart man,” Trump stated about Biden. “I talk about him differently now because now the gloves are off.”

Lisa Fagan, a spokesman for the city of Wildwood, where the protest was held, told The Associated Press that she estimated a throng of approximately 100,000 people based on her personal observations on the ground Saturday, having witnessed “dozens” of prior events in the same place.

Several high-profile endorsers joined Trump on stage, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges of sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute in New York in 2011.

The beachfront gathering, described by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., as the largest political gathering in state history, was intended to serve as a show of force at a critical time for Trump, who is facing dozens of felony charges in four separate criminal cases with the election less than six months away.

Massive Crow of Trump Supporters

Thousands of Trump supporters, dressed in “Never Surrender” T-shirts and red “Make America Great Again” hats, gathered onto the sand between the boardwalk and carnival attractions to meet the former Republican president hours before he took the stage.

“The everyday American people are 100% behind him,” said Doreen O’Neill, a 62-year-old Philadelphia nurse.

“They have to cheat and smear him and humiliate him in that courtroom every single day,” O’Neill stated. “This country is going to go insane if they steal the election again.”

Trump has repeatedly accused the Biden administration and Democratic leaders in New York of exploiting the court system to prevent his return to the White House. Prosecutors claim the former president breached the law to conceal an affair with a porn performer that would have jeopardized his first presidential campaign.

On Saturday, Trump said that even those he accuses of politically motivated indictments did not pursue every case they could, citing the boosts his campaign has received with each wave of accusations.

“I heard they were going to do a couple of other things and they said from Washington … ‘we’re indicting him into the White House,'” Trump stated. “They said, ‘Don’t do it.'”

Gag Order from New York Judge

While Trump seized on his legal difficulties on Saturday, a judge’s gag order — and the possibility of incarceration — limit his ability to publicly remark on witnesses, jurors, and anyone involved in the New York trial, which is anticipated to last most of the month. The court in the case has already fined Trump $9,000 for breaking the injunction and warned him he might face jail time if he does not comply.

The order makes no mention of Judge Juan M. Merchan, whom Trump described as “highly conflicted,” or District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both of whom Trump claimed are “doing the bidding for crooked Joe Biden.”

Trump’s role as a defendant has reduced his capacity to persuade voters on the campaign trail.

He spent last week’s off-day from court in Wisconsin and Michigan, both battleground states for the general election. And on Saturday, he campaigned with tens of thousands of voters in New Jersey, a solidly Democratic state.

Parts of New Jersey contain deep-red enclaves, and the southern shoreline in particular attracts tourists and summer homeowners from neighboring Pennsylvania, a vital swing state.

Saturday’s trip to the New Jersey Shore resort was not Trump’s first.

While president, Trump staged a rally in January 2020 to celebrate Van Drew, a New Jersey congressman who had recently defected from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in response to the former president’s first impeachment.

Trump drew a crowd that lined the streets, packed bars, and supported countless merchants in what is typically a sleepy city in the winter. The summer season is almost here for the resort noted for its large beaches, boardwalk games, and shops.

Wildwood is located in New Jersey’s 2nd District, which Van Drew has served for three terms and includes all or part of six counties in southern New Jersey. It voted for Trump in 2016 and again in 2020, despite previously supporting Barack Obama.

NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani was suspended from WABC Radio on Friday, and his daily show was discontinued for violating a station policy prohibiting him from making unproven 2020 election claims. Giuliani argued that the station’s prohibition is extremely broad and “a clear violation of free speech.”

Giuliani stated that he learned of WABC Radio owner John Catsimatidis’ decision through “a leak” to The New York Times. Catsimatidis revealed his decision by text message to The Associated Press.

Giuliani “left me with no option,” Catsimatidis told the Times, adding that the former New York City mayor had been cautioned twice not to discuss “fallacies of the November 2020 election.”

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WABC Radio Suspends Rudy Giuliani For Flouting Ban On Discussing Discredited 2020 Election Claims

“And I get a text from him last night, and I get a text from him this morning that he refuses not to talk about it,” said the Republican billionaire, who has raised money for Donald Trump.

As Trump’s attorney, Giuliani played an important role in the former president’s efforts to reject the 2020 election results and continue in office.

Giuliani denied receiving advance notice of the prohibition.

“John is now telling reporters that I was informed ahead of time of these restrictions, which is demonstrably untrue,” Giuliani said in a statement. Later Friday, in a social media live broadcast, Giuliani said he has discussed charges of election fraud on his show for years, possibly on every program.

“If there was such a policy, I’d be crazy to keep doing it,” remarked Giuliani. “You think I’m a fool?”

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WABC Radio Suspends Rudy Giuliani For Flouting Ban On Discussing Discredited 2020 Election Claims

According to a letter acquired by the AP from Catsimatidis to Giuliani dated Thursday, Giuliani was barred from discussing the 2020 elections.

The letter stated, “These specific topics include, but are not limited to, the legitimacy of the election results, allegations of fraud effectuated by election workers, and your personal lawsuits relating to these allegations.”

Giuliani’s spokesperson and adviser, Ted Goodman, said Giuliani was unaware of the directive until Thursday.

Giuliani stated in the statement that “WABC’s decision comes at a very suspicious time, just months before the 2024 election, and just as John and WABC continue to face pressure from Dominion Voting Systems and the lawyers for the Biden regime.”

Giuliani was among 18 persons accused by an Arizona grand jury late last month for their roles in a plot to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss. At the time, his spokeswoman, Goodman, denounced “the continued weaponization of our justice system.”

Giuliani declared bankruptcy in December, shortly after a jury ordered him to pay $148 million to two former Georgia election workers for lying about their involvement in the 2020 election.

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WABC Radio Suspends Rudy Giuliani For Flouting Ban On Discussing Discredited 2020 Election Claims

Despite the verdict, Giuliani continued to reiterate his stolen election accusations, arguing that he did nothing illegal and stating that he would pursue his claims even if it meant losing all of his money or being imprisoned.

The bankruptcy prompted a diverse coalition of creditors to come forward, including a supermarket employee who was arrested for patting him on the back, two election technology companies about which he spread conspiracy theories, a woman who claims he coerced her into sex, several of his former attorneys, the IRS, and Hunter Biden, who claims Giuliani illegally shared his data.

In early April, a New York bankruptcy judge permitted Giuliani to stay in his Florida condo, declining to rule on a creditors’ plea to force him to sell the Palm Beach house. However, the judge hinted at more “draconian” steps if the former mayor did not comply with requests for information on his spending habits. The next hearing on the matter is planned for Tuesday.

SOURCE – (AP)