VANCOUVER, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured central British Columbia (B.C.) by helicopter on Monday afternoon to get a glimpse of a charred landscape that has been scorched by wildfires in recent weeks.
The tour marks the prime minister's first look at the crisis which has forced about 50,000 people from their homes over the past month.
Trudeau said a main focus of his visit was to thank the wildfire first responders on behalf of all Canadians.
"I've seen people at the edge of exhaustion keep on pushing through, motivated by the tremendous support they're getting from communities," he said at a press conference in Williams Lake, one of the hardest-hit locations so far in this devastating wildfire season, following his tour.
Williams Lake's share of the crisis has eased in recent days, with most of its residents returning late last week to the city in the Cariboo region after a 12-day evacuation. About 6,000 people in B.C. remained away from their homes.
Around 172 million Canadian dollars (about 138 million U.S. dollars) have been spent directly on the wildfire fight since April 1, said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.'s chief fire information officer.
John Horgan, premier of B.C. province, said there are now firefighters helping with the B.C. crisis from the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. U.S. and Australian crews are also assisting the effort.
The B.C. province has extended its state of emergency until Aug. 4.
