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2021-07-02 13:30:06

The Canadian village that set an all-time national heat record this week has been "devastated" by a fast-moving wildfire that engulfed the small town "within minutes" following an intense heat wave, officials said Thursday.

The fire destroyed "most homes and structures in the village" of Lytton and several residents are unaccounted for, British Columbia Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said at a news conference.

More than 1,000 people in and around Lytton were forced to evacuate Wednesday night within a moment's notice as flames quickly moved in, BC Premier John Horgan said.

"Lytton has been devastated and it will take an extraordinary amount of effort to get that historic location back to what it was," Horgan said.

The village's mayor, who quickly notified residents of the imminent wildfire and issued an evacuation order, has been "traumatized" by the event, Horgan said.