British Columbia declared a provincewide state of emergency on Saturday after a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes, trapped residents and forced more than 20,000 people from communities along Okanagan Lake. Premier David Eby announced the measure while more than 100 fires burned across the western Canadian province, nearly half of them out of control, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of Summerland, a community of about 12,000 people, and roughly 8,000 residents in and around nearby Peachland. Officials confirmed losses of homes but said the active fire zone prevented an immediate damage count. Search teams continued checking behind fire lines, while helicopters diverted from firefighting rescued people unable to escape by road.
The Bald Range fire was reported on Friday evening and expanded to about 50 square kilometres within hours, the BC Wildfire Service said. It overwhelmed the smaller community of Faulder and travelled roughly 15 kilometres toward Summerland. Regional emergency officials described its growth as among the fastest they had experienced, and traffic backed up as residents moved south.
Hot, windy weather and prolonged drought produced what wildfire operations director Cliff Chapman characterized as explosive conditions. Provincial forecasts in June had identified the Okanagan and other regions as facing sustained drought and high summer fire risk, while British Columbia's snowpack stood at 64 percent of normal. A July federal outlook also projected above-normal August fire danger in the southern interior.
Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said the declaration gives the province additional authority to restrict travel and secure accommodation for displaced residents. The measure is intended to improve coordination among provincial agencies, local governments, First Nations and emergency services as crews confront multiple fires and the possibility that other communities could face similarly rapid outbreaks.
Officials urged residents to follow evacuation orders and rely on EmergencyInfoBC and the BC Wildfire Service for current information. Damage assessments will begin when conditions allow safe access, while search-and-rescue operations and firefighting continue. The immediate priorities remain locating anyone caught behind the lines, sheltering evacuees and preventing new losses during continuing hot and dry weather.
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