B.C. fire evacuees find social media comfort amid official void about destruction

By Brieanna Charlebois Frustrated wildfire evacuees from Summerland, B.C., say they are seeking out alternative sources of information about the fate of their community to fill an official void, even as authorities warn against the risk of misinformation. They have been turning to photos and video posted online by people who stayed behind in the evacuated community on the shore of Okanagan Lake — including an e-bike rider who has been cruising through deserted and apparently undamaged streets. Resident Kerry Gold said, though, she doesn’t condone people risking their safety by staying behind, watching the e-bike rider, whose simple videos show him rolling through the smoky streets of Summerland, sometimes behind structure protection crews, “just makes you feel so much better.” “As somebody who was in the dark, who didn’t…

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