Canada heatwave wildfires destroy whole village in British Columbia

A wildfire that began after three days of record-breaking temperatures has destroyed most of the small western Canadian town of Lytton and damaged a nearby hydropower station, a local politician said on Thursday.

Local politician Brad Vis said in a Facebook post, "The town has sustained structural damage and 90% of the village is burned, including the centre of town."

Lytton, in central British Columbia, this week broke Canada's all-time hottest temperature record three times, hitting 121 degrees Fahrenheit, or 49 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

Late on Wednesday, the Mayor said the 'whole town' was on fire.

More than a thousand people in and around the town were then forced to evacuate.

The extreme heat has punished residents far and wide.

At least 486 sudden deaths were reported in the province of BC over five hot days.

That's nearly three times the usual number, according to officials.

An unprecedented heatwave has also left a rising death toll in its wake in the northwest United States.

In Oregon, where 63 deaths have so far been linked to the heatwave, Governor Kate Brown this week declared a state of emergency.

While the Portland Fire Department banned the use of fireworks for the Fourth of July weekend.

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