British Columbia lifts most travel restrictions as Canada wildfires ease

British Columbia's Premier David Eby holds a press conference following a tour of the Tselletkwe Lodge, which was created as a safe place for Indigenous evacuees and others who've been displaced due to the wildfires, in Kamloops, B.C., Canada, August 22, 2023. Chad Hipolito/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The government of British Columbia said it would largely lift travel restrictions to the province's wildfire-hit interior on Tuesday, as rain and cooler weather helped hold back blazes across western Canada.

The restrictions barred non-essential travel to communities in the province's interior including Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops and were due to expire at midnight. The measure will remain in place for West Kelowna.