BC Declares Emergency as Wildfires Force 20K to Flee

British Columbia declared a state of emergency Saturday as fast-moving wildfires destroyed homes and forced more than 20,000 people to flee communities along Okanagan Lake in western Canada. Premier David Eby announced the emergency as over 100 wildfires burned across the province, nearly half of them out of control due to hot, windy weather and prolonged drought.

The entire community of Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, was ordered evacuated overnight along with approximately 8,000 residents in and around nearby Peachland. Officials had not yet determined how many homes were destroyed. The Bald Range wildfire first reported on Friday evening grew to about 50 square kilometers (19 square miles) within hours.

The fire overwhelmed the smaller community of Faulder, covering roughly 15 kilometers to Summerland at extraordinary speed. Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations for the BC Wildfire Service, described fire conditions across British Columbia as 'explosive' and warned that other communities could face similar fires.

The state of emergency gives the province additional powers, including the ability to restrict travel and secure accommodations for evacuees. Erick Thompson, an emergency official with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, called it one of the 'quickest-moving, fastest-growing' wildfires the region had experienced.

Canada's federal government announced it will provide urgent assistance to British Columbia after unprecedented fast-moving wildfires forced about 22,000 people to flee their homes. A total of 102 wildfires were raging across the province on Sunday, with nearly half categorized as 'out of control'. Of those fires, 78 ignited during the past week.

Efforts to battle the Bald Range wildfire have been hampered by its rapid spread. The blaze grew within hours to more than 100 sq km (39 sq miles) – nearly twice the size of Manhattan – as it raced toward Okanagan Lake. Residents were shaken awake in the middle of the night to flee their homes.

The British Columbia Wildfire Service deployed 10 helicopters and a night-vision helicopter for firefighting efforts, but thick smoke, turbulence, and large fires hindered operations. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating a possible fatality near Summerland.

In the U.S., crews in Washington that have been fighting three wildfires that began burning in the Spokane area for over a week continued cleanup near containment lines. A man was arrested and charged with intentionally setting the biggest of the three Spokane-area blazes earlier this week.

Residents in Malden, a town about 35 miles south of Spokane, were initially urged to evacuate but by Sunday their evacuation level had been downgraded. The town's residents have been advised to conserve water for potential fire-fighting needs. In Utah, two helicopter pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed while fighting a wildfire in the Fishlake National Forest.