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Thousands of residents in western Canada were ordered to evacuate as a fast-moving wildfire doubled in size overnight.
State of emergency declared in British Columbia
On Saturday, August 8, British Columbia declared a state of emergency after the wildfire destroyed homes, trapped residents and forced more than 20,000 people to flee communities along Okanagan Lake.
Premier David Eby announced the emergency as more than 100 wildfires burnt across the province, nearly half of them out of control in hot, windy weather.
Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, was ordered to evacuate overnight, along with about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland.
Officials had not determined how many homes were destroyed, as the area remained an active fire zone.
British Columbia wildfire fatality
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was investigating a possible wildfire death near Summerland.
However, due to hazardous conditions, the means for confirmation remain limited.
Trapped residents prompt helicopter rescue
Eby said some residents became trapped and had to be rescued, while search-and-rescue crews continued looking behind the fire lines for anyone else who may have been caught.
Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations for the BC Wildfire Service, said firefighting helicopters were diverted to rescue people who could no longer escape by road and hailed cooperation among agencies responding to the fire.
The Bald Range wildfire, first reported Friday evening, grew to more than 100 square kilometres (39 square miles) as it raced roughly 15 kilometres (9 miles) toward Okanagan Lake within hours.
Why was the state of emergency declaration pivotal?
British Columbia Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said the state of emergency gives the province additional powers, including the ability to restrict travel and secure accommodations for evacuees that might otherwise be unavailable.
Canada has endured increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in recent years, forcing mass evacuations and repeatedly sending smoke across large parts of Canada and the United States.
