A state of emergency has been declared in Canada’s western province of British Columbia as the rapidly spreading Bald Range wildfire continues to burn out of control, forcing more than 20,000 people to evacuate their homes.
The wildfire expanded dramatically overnight, growing to approximately 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres). Evacuation orders have been issued in several communities in the southern Interior, including Summerland and Peachland, west of Okanagan Lake. The region is home to a major portion of British Columbia’s wine industry.
British Columbia Premier David Eby described the intensity of the blaze as being “like a bomb going off.” He said an official told him flames were rising from trees around 100 feet tall and reaching another 200 feet above them.
The extreme fire behavior has also reportedly generated its own weather conditions, including lightning, further fueling the blaze and making firefighting efforts more difficult.
Eby said a number of homes have already been destroyed and some residents became trapped as conditions changed rapidly, requiring emergency rescues. He warned that the situation remains highly volatile and dangerous.
The state of emergency gives the provincial government additional powers to respond to the crisis, including imposing movement restrictions, protecting supplies from excessive price increases and coordinating emergency rescue operations.
Authorities said the Bald Range wildfire has resulted in the largest evacuation of the summer so far in British Columbia. More than 20,000 people across the province have been forced to leave their homes because of the fire.
Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said many farms have been affected, although the full extent of structural damage remains unclear as firefighters continue battling the blaze.
“We need to prepare for the worst-case scenario,” Holmes said, as crews continued efforts to contain the rapidly moving wildfire.
The wildfire comes amid a difficult season for British Columbia, where unusually hot and dry conditions have contributed to dangerous fire activity across the province.
