British Columbia declares state of emergency as more than 20.000 people flee wildfires

British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday after thousands of people in the western Canadian province were ordered to leave their homes due to a fast-spreading wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight.

The Bald Range fire was out of control and quickly spread to about 9.500 hectares, prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other areas west of Okanagan Lake in the southern interior of the province. The region produces most of British Columbia's wine and is the second largest wine-growing region in Canada, Reuters reports.

Provincial Premier David Ibi said at a news conference on Saturday that a fire official had compared the blaze to "a bomb going off."

"He described flames in trees 100 feet high, rising another 200 feet above that, as well as the fire creating its own weather system, leading to lightning that then further fuels the fire," Ibi said.

"Houses have been lost and property destroyed. Some people have been trapped because conditions have changed very quickly and they had to be rescued," the prime minister said, adding that the situation remains highly volatile and dangerous.

Summerland has a population of about 12.000, according to the 2021 census, while Peachland has a population of about 6.500.

The declaration of a state of emergency gives the provincial government immediate access to special powers, including travel restrictions, protection of supply to prevent unjustified price hikes, and special mechanisms to coordinate rescue operations.

Officials said the Bald Range fire has caused the largest evacuation of the summer and that more than 20.000 people across British Columbia have been forced to leave their homes.

"A lot of farms have been affected. We don't know how many structures have been lost. They're still busy putting out the fire," Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said in a telephone interview from Penticton. "We have to prepare for the worst."

Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, have battled wildfires this year, as hot, dry weather conditions have fueled the spread of the blazes in dense forest areas. Firefighters from Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand have helped put out the blazes.

In British Columbia, where hot and dry conditions have increased the risk of new fires spreading, about 1.500 firefighters were battling more than 100 blazes. The province has issued 40 evacuation orders and 49 warnings.

Fires have burned about four million hectares in Canada this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.