KOMPAS.com – The hot temperatures that hit Canada in recent days have caused a number of problems.

Hundreds of sudden deaths are thought to be linked to the heatwave sweeping the country.

As of July 2, a total of 719 deaths were recorded over seven days in the territory of British Columbia (BC), Canada’s westernmost province.

That’s an increase of 195 percent from the usual amount over that period.

Read also: Hundreds of people died when Canada was hit by a heat wave of up to 49.5 degrees Celsius

BC Coroner Service head Lisa Lapointe said many of those who died in the heatwave were living alone in unventilated homes.

Launch BBCThe heat in western Canada and the US is caused by a high-pressure “hot air dome” that stretches from California to the Arctic region.

Temperatures have eased in the coastal areas but not much has changed for the interior.

Experts say climate change is contributing to this record heat.

A city in BC, Lytton even broke the record for the highest Canadian temperature three times this week to reach 49.6 Celsius on Tuesday (29/6/2021).

Due to the heat, a huge fire engulfed the city.

“I ran towards the city and the fire followed me. In about 15 minutes, the whole town was gone,” said a resident named Pierre Quevillon, quoted from Independent.

Also read: Experience the Hottest Temperature of All Time, This Canadian City Until It Burns

Forest fires

Quevillon is one of about 1,000 Lytton residents who were forced to leave their homes and flee to neighboring towns after bushfires razed much of the small Canadian town.

The Quevillon house was one of the first to catch fire on Wednesday (29/6/2021) night, after the mayor issued an immediate evacuation order.

One of his friends had called to warn him of the fire that was coming when he started rescuing his pet.

Luckily, he managed to escape from the fire and headed for a nearby hill.

Janice Houldworth, a resident of the Caslegar BC community, said she had not left the house for four days.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my 70 years,” he said.

“We have closed all the windows, have a fan running 24/7 continuously and spray it with water, take a cold foot bath and drink lots of fluids.”

Also read: Canadian Heat Wave Triggers 170 Fires

Car windows cracked and melted

Many homes in BC do not have air conditioning as temperatures are usually much milder during the hot summer months.

A Vancouver resident told AFP news agency that the hotels appeared to be sold out, as people flocked there to get air conditioning.

In Vancouver, residents have reported car windows cracked and melted, even when they weren’t parked in the sun.

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