A rapidly spreading wildfire in Canada’s western province of British Columbia has intensified, prompting the provincial government to declare a state of emergency and order at least 20,000 residents to evacuate their homes and move to safer areas.
According to a Reuters report, the uncontrolled Bald Range wildfire, located west of Okanagan Lake in the southern part of the province, expanded rapidly to around 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres). Emergency evacuation orders have been issued for Summerland, Peachland and surrounding communities as authorities work to contain the blaze.
The affected region is home to British Columbia’s major wine-producing areas and represents Canada’s second-largest wine-producing region. The evacuation order is the largest of its kind in the province so far this summer because of wildfires.
At a news conference on Saturday, British Columbia Premier David Eby, citing a firefighter, described the intensity of the blaze as resembling a bomb explosion. He said flames were rising about 200 feet above the tops of trees that themselves stood around 100 feet tall.
The wildfire has generated its own weather system, triggering frequent lightning strikes that are contributing to the fire’s rapid spread, Eby said.
He added that several homes and properties had been destroyed by the blaze. Some people were temporarily trapped as conditions changed rapidly but were later rescued. Eby warned that the situation remained highly volatile and dangerous.
Around 12,000 people live in Summerland, while approximately 6,500 reside in Peachland. In an interview from Penticton, Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said a number of farms had been affected, although authorities had yet to determine exactly how many structures had been destroyed. He warned residents to remain prepared for further deterioration in conditions.
Local residents fled the area overnight, driving to safety before highways were closed. Terry Fries, a Summerland resident, said a neighbour advised him to pack essential belongings while he was watching a football game on Friday night. After an evacuation order was issued around midnight, he left with his family and drove approximately 45 kilometres north to Kelowna.
Residents captured images of structures burning along highways as they evacuated. By Saturday afternoon, the wildfire had cast a reddish-orange glow across the sky, while ash was reported falling over surrounding areas.
The fire also disrupted electricity supplies. Damage to Summerland’s water treatment facility allowed untreated water to enter the supply system, prompting authorities to instruct residents to boil their water before drinking it.
The declaration of a state of emergency gives the provincial government special powers to respond to the crisis. These include imposing movement restrictions, preventing excessive price increases for essential goods and coordinating emergency response and rescue operations.
According to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, nearly 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of forest have already burned across Canada this year amid extreme heat and dry weather.
Firefighters from Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand are also assisting Canadian crews in battling wildfires across several provinces, including Ontario and Quebec.
In British Columbia alone, nearly 1,500 firefighters are working to contain fires at more than 100 locations. The province currently has 40 evacuation orders and 49 evacuation alerts in effect.
Source: Reuters.