A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia after a fast-moving wildfire forced thousands of people to flee their homes and rapidly expanded across parts of western Canada.
The Bald Range fire has grown to more than 39 square miles,or 103 square kilometres,across Summerland,Peachland and other districts,according to the BC Wildfire Service.
The blaze has doubled in size since it was first detected on Friday.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said on Saturday that one fire official had compared the conditions to “a bomb going off”.
The flames were so intense that they had created their own weather systems capable of producing lightning,Eby said.
“Homes have been lost,and properties have been destroyed. Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly,and needed to be rescued,” the premier said.
The state of emergency gives the provincial government access to special powers,including travel restrictions,supply protections intended to prevent price gouging and additional resources to coordinate rescue operations.
More Than 20,000 People Evacuated Across British Columbia
The Bald Range wildfire has triggered the largest evacuation event in British Columbia this summer,with officials saying more than 20,000 people across the province have left their homes.
Summerland has a population of about 12,000,while Peachland is home to roughly 6,500 residents.
“A lot of farms have been affected. We don't know how many structures have been lost. They're still busy fighting the fire,” Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said.
Hundreds of residents in Summerland care facilities,including senior housing,were also being moved to safer locations,according to Interior Health.
Authorities had not yet determined how many structures had been destroyed.
Evacuation orders were also issued in nearby areas including Okanagan,Peachland and Okanagan-Similkameen,with evacuation alerts in place elsewhere.
Residents Struggle to Move Animals
In Okanagan,residents faced difficulties evacuating horses as the fire spread.
Some owners who could not relocate their animals left gates open in the hope the horses could escape to safety.
Others painted markings on their animals to help identify them later.
The Bald Range fire is one of hundreds of wildfires that have burned across Canada this summer.
Nearly 200 fires were burning in Ontario during July,with smoke pushing Toronto's air quality among the worst in the world for several days.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires also travelled into parts of the United States,including Minnesota and New York.
