BC declares state of emergency as 20,000 flee explosive wildfire

British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday as a fast-moving wildfire swept through communities along Okanagan Lake, forcing more than 20,000 people to flee and destroying homes in its path.

Emergency powers enacted

Premier David Eby announced the emergency as more than 100 wildfires burned across the province, with nearly half classified as out of control amid extreme heat, strong winds, and prolonged drought. The declaration gives the province additional powers, including the ability to restrict travel and secure accommodations for evacuees, said Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene.

Eby acknowledged the immense stress on residents. “I know many families are facing an unimaginable day today,” he said. “People have lost their homes. And many people have been displaced. Others are waiting for news about loved ones.”

A fire on an extraordinary path

The Bald Range wildfire was first reported Friday evening. Within hours, it expanded to roughly 50 square kilometers and raced across about 15 kilometers to reach Summerland. The entire town, home to approximately 12,000 people, was ordered evacuated overnight, along with about 8,000 residents of nearby Peachland and surrounding areas. Officials have not yet determined how many homes were destroyed.

Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations for the BC Wildfire Service, described the fire’s behavior as “explosive” and cautioned that other communities could face similar threats. He said helicopters were diverted from firefighting to rescue individuals who could no longer evacuate by road.

Racing to safety

Erick Thompson, an emergency official for the regional district of Okanagan-Similkameen, said the blaze was among the “quickest-moving, fastest-growing” wildfires the region had ever seen. He was forced to abandon his post and evacuate his own family. “I had to leave the EOC to come and get my family to leave this area. We’re heading south,” he said in a video posted early Saturday, with traffic backed up around him.

Residents described their own escapes. Kerry Gold and her husband, Mike Elsinga, fled at 12:30 a.m. after spotting flames spreading beyond nearby mountains. They had packed bags, readied their cat’s carrier, and planned to help a disabled friend evacuate. “It’s scary. It’s moving fast,” Gold said. Elsinga added, “You want to stay here and protect your home, but you also don’t want to get caught in it.”

Videos posted on social media appeared to show multiple homes burning and roads flanked by fire as residents tried to drive to safety.

A prolonged wildfire crisis

The evacuations mark the latest chapter in Canada’s increasingly severe wildfire seasons, which have repeatedly forced mass relocations and blanketed large areas of Canada and the U.S. with smoke. Search-and-rescue teams continued to comb through fire-scarred zones Saturday, looking for anyone who may have been trapped behind the fire lines. As firefighters work to contain the blaze, officials warn that the emergency is not yet over, and the full extent of the destruction remains unknown.