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Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as a rapidly spreading wildfire rages through western Canada, prompting British Columbia to declare a state of emergency and warn residents to prepare for the worst.
The Bald Range wildfire, first detected on Friday, expanded rapidly and nearly doubled in size overnight. The blaze has spread across more than 10,300 hectares, forcing evacuations around Summerland and Peachland and becoming the largest evacuation event in British Columbia this summer.
Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes told Reuters that residents needed to be prepared for the worst as the fire continued to spread. More than 20,000 people across the province have been evacuated, while homes and other properties have been destroyed.
The fire has been burning with such intensity that it has generated its own weather system, including lightning, increasing the risk of further spread.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said a firefighter had compared the intensity of the blaze to “a bomb explosion.”
Summerland, a community of around 12,000 people, has been among the worst-affected areas, with residents ordered to leave. Some residents in nearby Peachland have also been evacuated.
Resident Keegan Radomski said he managed to leave his home only moments before the fire reached the area. He said neighbours who remained behind told him that several homes on their street had burned down.
“It’s the uncertainty that’s the scariest,” Radomski said, expressing concern over whether his home would still be standing when he returned.
Another Peachland resident, Earl Kurz, who has lived there for 30 years, said this was the first time he had actually been forced to leave his home despite receiving evacuation warnings in the past.
Kurz said he and his wife were on Okanagan Lake on Friday afternoon when they saw the clear blue sky rapidly turn grey with smoke. Later, a huge cloud of black smoke rose above the flames as the fire moved towards their location.
Police later went to their home and ordered them to leave immediately. They are now staying safely in a camper several kilometres away.
Authorities said the Bald Range fire has forced more people to evacuate than any other wildfire in British Columbia this summer. The provincial government has expanded emergency powers, allowing it to impose movement restrictions, secure essential supplies and prevent price gouging, while also mobilising additional resources for firefighting and rescue operations.
Hundreds of people living in care facilities, including seniors’ residences, are also being moved to safer areas, according to provincial health authorities.
The exact number of homes and structures destroyed by the fire has not yet been confirmed.
Regional authorities in Central Okanagan and Okanagan-Similkameen, along with the Snpint’kn Indian Band and the administrations of Summerland and Peachland, have issued evacuation orders and alerts for several areas.
The wildfire has also created difficulties for residents trying to evacuate horses and other livestock. Some owners who were unable to move their animals have left gates open so the animals can escape to safer areas, while others have marked their animals to make identification easier later.
Federal authorities have also stepped in to support British Columbia. Canada’s federal government has pledged shelter and accommodation for residents displaced by the fires around Summerland and Peachland. International crews from Australia, New Zealand and Mexico are also assisting firefighters.
The wildfire crisis comes amid a severe fire season across Canada. Hot and dry conditions have fuelled hundreds of wildfires, with thick smoke also affecting parts of the United States.
