Canada city destroyed in hours by fire after recording 49.6 ° C

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at COP 26, the United Nations climate conference, that the country is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world.

This rise in temperatures has been felt severely in the southern town of Lytton.

In June 2021, local thermometers reached 49.6 ° C, the highest temperature ever recorded in such a distant place in the north of the planet.

A day after reaching this mark, the small town was engulfed in flames.

“My sense of belonging disappeared in a cloud of smoke on June 30,” said Patrick Michell, leader of the indigenous community of Kanaka Bar, who lives there.

After losing his home to the fire, he had to move into a motorhome with his wife. Her daughter Serena was eight months pregnant on the day of the fire and had to flee with only a few clothes.

The homeless of Lytton are now seeking answers and those responsible for the incident.

There is a suspicion that a spark from the local railroad ignited the flames, but an investigation has found no connection between the railroad line and the blaze.

In this video from the ‘Life at 50 ° C’ series, the BBC visited the burnt-out Canadian city, where some residents are planning to build new homes in a more sustainable way.