A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia after tens of thousands of people were ordered to flee a rapidly spreading wildfire in the southern interior of the province. The Bald Range wildfire, which nearly doubled in size overnight to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), has prompted evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland, and other districts west of Okanagan Lake. The region, which produces most of British Columbia’s wine and is Canada’s second-largest wine-producing area, has been severely impacted by the fire.
Premier David Eby said Saturday that one fire official had likened the blaze, which is burning out of control, to “a bomb going off”. He described flames on a 100-foot tree, flames going 200 feet above that, and the fire creating its own weather system, which creates lightning, which then feeds on itself. Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed.
Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly, and needed to be rescued. Officials said the Bald Range wildfire triggered the largest evacuation event so far this summer and more than 20,000 people across B.C. have been forced to evacuate their homes. Summerland has a population of about 12,000 people, according to the 2021 census, and Peachland is home to about 6,500 residents.
A state of emergency grants the provincial government immediate access to special powers including travel restrictions and supply protections to prevent price gouging, and specific tools to coordinate rescue work. Many residents left overnight, driving south to Penticton or north to Kelowna before highways began to close. Summerland lost power on Saturday and issued a boil-water notice for residents.
The municipality said untreated water had entered the system after it bypassed the water treatment plant due to the wildfire. In B.C., where hot and dry conditions have increased the risk of more fires spreading, about 1,500 firefighting personnel were battling more than 100 fires. The province has issued 40 evacuation orders and 49 alerts.
Fires have burned through 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) in Canada this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
