Key points
- Fast-moving wildfire triggers mass evacuations in British Columbia
- More than 100 wildfires are burning across the province
ISLAMABAD: Canada’s western province of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency as a fast-moving wildfire forced more than 20,000 people to flee their homes.
The rapidly spreading fire has already destroyed properties and is threatening communities in the province’s southern interior.
The Bald Range wildfire near Summerland and Peachland rapidly expanded, prompting evacuation orders and alerts across affected areas and prompting the declaration of an emergency.
The blaze had grown to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), according to Reuters.
British Columbia Premier David Eby described the fire’s intensity as resembling “a bomb going off.” Towering flames and fire-generated lightning created extremely dangerous conditions for residents and firefighters.
The mass evacuation is the largest in British Columbia so far this summer. Residents were forced to leave their homes overnight, with many heading towards nearby cities including Kelowna and Penticton.
The fire has destroyed homes and other structures, and emergency crews have carried out rescues as flames moved rapidly through populated areas.
Videos showed highways surrounded by flames and structures burning as residents attempted to escape the affected communities.
Power outages were reported in affected areas. Summerland also issued a boil-water advisory after untreated water entered the municipal water system, adding to the disruption caused by the wildfire.
The emergency declaration covers the province as British Columbia faces a wildfire crisis.
More than 100 wildfires were burning across the province, with nearly half considered out of control, the Associated Press reported.
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About 1,500 firefighters are involved in the response, with international assistance helping Canadian crews tackle the fires and protect threatened communities.
The provincial government has urged people in threatened areas to follow evacuation orders and remain prepared to leave at short notice as fire conditions can change rapidly.
Unusually hot and dry conditions across western Canada have created an environment in which fires can spread quickly and become difficult to contain.
Wildfires across Canada
The crisis is not limited to British Columbia. Wildfires have burned about 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) across Canada this year, putting additional pressure on firefighting resources and emergency-response agencies, Reuters reported.
The scale of the fires has also prompted international assistance. Firefighting crews from other countries have joined Canadian personnel as authorities seek to reinforce resources stretched by the number and intensity of active blazes.
Officials have warned that the situation remains precarious, with further evacuations possible if fires expand or weather conditions deteriorate.
The declaration of a provincial state of emergency enables authorities to coordinate resources and respond to the rapidly evolving wildfire threat.
For residents already displaced, the immediate priority remains finding shelter and ensuring access to essential services.
For communities still under evacuation alerts, authorities have urged people to prepare essential belongings and be ready to leave immediately if an order is issued.
The latest crisis highlights the continuing wildfire threat facing western Canada, where increasingly hot and dry conditions have made large-scale fires a recurring summer hazard.
British Columbia is now confronting the dual challenge of containing more than 100 active fires and protecting communities from further evacuations.
