British Columbia district declares state of emergency as more than 20,000 flee wildfires

PENTICTON, Canada – British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Aug 8 after thousands of people in the western Canadian province were ordered to flee a fast-moving wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight.

The Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control and grew rapidly to about 9,500ha, prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other districts west of Okanagan Lake in the province’s southern interior.

The region produces most of the province’s wine and is Canada’s second-largest wine-producing area.

Premier David Eby told a news conference on Aug 8 that one fire official had likened the fire to “a bomb going off”.

“He described flames on 30m tree, flames going 60m above that, and the fire creating its own weather system, which creates lightning, which then feeds on itself,” 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, according to a 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 in the summer of 2026, and more than 20,000 people across British Columbia 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 the night of Aug 7 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 the authorities issued the evacuation order around midnight, he and his family drove about 45km north to the city of Kelowna.

Residents recorded videos of fires by the highway and of structures burning as they evacuated.

By the afternoon of Aug 8, ashes began to settle on cars and houses in nearby areas as the fire painted the skies with orange hues.

Summerland lost power on Aug 8 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.

Several regions in Canada, including Ontario and Quebec, have battled blazes in 2026 as hot, dry weather fuelled wildfires in dense forest areas. Firefighters from Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand have helped combat the fires.

In British Columbia, 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 also issued 40 evacuation orders and 49 alerts.

Fires have burnt through 4 million hectares in Canada in 2026, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. REUTERS