A WILDFIRE in British Columbia, Canada, has forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate as fast-moving blazes destroyed homes.
The Bald Range wildfire has grown rapidly, burning about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres) and prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other districts west of Okanagan Lake.
British Columbia’s Premier David Eby announced a state of emergency early Saturday as more than 100 wildfires burned across the western Canadian province. Nearly half of the fires were out of control amid hot, windy conditions and prolonged drought.
The entire community of Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, was ordered to evacuate overnight, along with about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland. Officials have yet to determine how many homes have been destroyed.
Eby said some residents became trapped and had to be rescued, while search-and-rescue crews continued checking areas behind the fire lines for anyone who may have been caught.
“People have lost their homes. And many people have been displaced. Others are waiting for news about loved ones,” Eby said.
The Bald Range wildfire was first reported on Friday evening but expanded quickly, overwhelming the smaller community of Faulder and covering the roughly 15km (9 miles) to Summerland at extraordinary speed.
Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations for the BC Wildfire Service, described conditions across the province as “explosive” and warned that other communities could face similarly fast-moving fires.
Firefighting helicopters were diverted to rescue residents who could no longer escape by road, Chapman said.
“Summerland and Faulder and Peachland. Tonight our hearts are heavy as we watch the Bald Range wildfire. The firefighters and first responders are doing an incredible job and my heart is with them, as well as all the evacuees and volunteers,” Amelia Boultbee, a member of the Legislative Assembly representing Penticton-Summerland, wrote in a social media post on Friday night.
Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said the state of emergency gives the provincial government additional powers, including restricting travel and securing accommodation for evacuees.
Saturday’s evacuation orders also affected the Peachland watershed, the Brenda Mines area, Lower Princeton and its downtown core, according to Emergency Info BC, a provincial government service.
Canada has faced a summer of large wildfires, with blazes tearing across provinces including Ontario and Quebec.
Scientists have said climate change has worsened wildfire conditions in recent decades, with regions across the globe experiencing periods of extreme drought and heat.
In recent months, Canada and the United States experienced a record-setting heat dome that exacerbated wildfire conditions by drying out vegetation.
To the south of British Columbia, the US state of Washington has also experienced large wildfires this month, contributing to poor air quality across the region.
Canada has endured increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in recent years, forcing mass evacuations and repeatedly sending smoke across large parts of Canada and the US.
Firefighting teams from countries including Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand have all provided support to Canada. About 1,500 firefighters are currently deployed across British Columbia, which has issued 39 evacuation orders and 49 alerts.
Eby said earlier this week that the western province had sufficient resources and additional firefighters and aircraft at its disposal to deal with the fires.
“For those in the area, please keep following updates,” Eby said in a social media post late Friday. “If asked to evacuate, go immediately. The conditions are changing extremely quickly.”