British Columbia Declares Emergency as Wildfires Displace 20,000

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency after a rapidly spreading wildfire forced more than 20,000 residents to evacuate communities along Okanagan Lake in western Canada.

Premier David Eby announced the emergency on Saturday as over 100 wildfires burned across the province, with nearly half classified as out of control amid hot, windy conditions and prolonged drought.

The entire community of Summerland, which has a population of about 12,000, was ordered to evacuate overnight. An additional 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland were also told to leave. Officials have not yet determined the number of homes destroyed.

The Bald Range wildfire was first reported on Friday evening but expanded to roughly 50 square kilometers within hours. It overwhelmed the smaller community of Faulder and covered the approximately 15 kilometers to Summerland at extraordinary speed.

Canada has experienced increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in recent years, leading to mass evacuations and sending smoke across large parts of Canada and the United States.