Wildfire forces more than 20,000 people evacuate homes in western Canada

British Columbia declares state of emergency as more than 20,000 people flee wildfires Sun 9 Aug 2026 at 12:35pm In short: Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in western Canada as a fast-moving wildfire doubles in size. British Columbia has declared a state of emergency. What's next? The fires in Canada follow a persistent and severe heatwave across western Europe with more scorching temperatures forecast this week. Thousands of people in western Canada have been ordered to flee a fast-moving wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight. A state of emergency was declared in British Columbia (BC) on Saturday, local time, after the Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control and grew rapidly to about 9,510 hectares. Evacuation orders were in place for Summerland, Peachland and other districts west of Okanagan Lake in the province's southern interior. The region produces most of BC's wine and is Canada's second-largest wine-producing area. Premier David Eby told a news conference on Saturday that one fire official had likened the fire to "a bomb going off". "He described flames on 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," Mr 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, adding it remained a very dynamic and threatening situation. 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. Officials said the Bald Range wildfire triggered the largest evacuation event so far this summer and more than 20,000 people across BC have been forced to evacuate their homes. "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 in a phone interview from Penticton. "We have to brace ourselves for the worst." Overnight evacuation Many residents left overnight, driving south to Penticton or north to Kelowna before highways began to close. Terry Fries of Summerland was watching a football game on Friday night when a neighbour advised him to get a bag ready as the fire grew. "At the time, it was still farther back, and you could see it behind the hills," he said. When BC authorities issued the evacuation order around midnight, he and his family drove about 45 kilometres north to the city of Kelowna. By Saturday afternoon, ashes began to settle on cars and houses in nearby areas as the fire painted the skies with orange hues. Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, have battled blazes this year as hot, dry weather fuelled wildfires in dense forest areas. Firefighters from Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand have helped combat the fires. In BC, where hot and dry conditions have increased the risk of more fires spreading, about 1,500 firefighting personnel were battling more than 100 fires. Fires have burned through 9.9 million acres in Canada this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Europe's heatwave rages on The fires in Canada follow what has also been a record-breaking summer so far across western Europe, with scorching temperatures and destructive wildfires. France and Spain have been particularly hard hit in recent weeks. The extreme weather across Europe has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in many countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people. Scientists and officials warn that such events are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms. In Central Europe, Slovakia and Austria both recorded all-time high temperatures this week, at 42.2C and 41.2C. In Italy, officials placed all its major cities under the highest heat alert on Thursday, signalling a health risk for the entire population, not only vulnerable groups. The UK government has declared half of England, and all of Wales, as officially being in drought. England saw its warmest June on record and the UK its second warmest, while England and Wales experienced their driest July on record, according to Met Office data. Reuters/AP