Canada announces steps to reduce wildfire risk after heat wave

Measures come after record temperatures spurred blazes and contributed to hundreds of deaths on country’s west coast.

Canada has announced new measures aimed at preventing wildfires during periods of extreme heat, after a historic heatwave last month spurred dozens of large blazes on the country’s west coast including one that burned an entire village to the ground. In a statement on Sunday, the federal transport department said railway operators would need to reduce the speed of trains when temperatures go beyond 30 Celsius, as well as ensure trains are not running with combustible materials that could spark a fire. Conductors will also be required to spot and report fires along their routes, among other measures that the federal government said took effect at midnight PST (07:00 GMT) on Sunday.