Canada hunts for survivors of fire that destroyed small town

Officials are hunting for any missing residents of a British Columbia town destroyed by wildfire, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered federal assistance.

The roughly 1,000 residents of Lytton had to abandon their homes with just a few minutes notice Wednesday evening after suffering record high temperatures for Canada on three consecutive days, ending with a record high of 49.6 Celsius (121.2 Fahrenheit).

Officials said Friday it’s unclear whether anyone remains in the village due to a lack of cell service and because it’s not safe to enter most of the area. The province’s public safety minister said Thursday afternoon that most homes and buildings in Lytton have been destroyed and some residents are unaccounted for.

In Ottawa, Trudeau pledged that the federal government will "help rebuild and help people come through this."

Several other fires are reported burning in the region as a heat wave baked western Canada.