Mexican Firefighters Join British Columbia Wildfire Fight

About 100 firefighters from Mexico were scheduled to arrive in British Columbia on Tuesday to help battle a deadly wildfire that has forced approximately 20,000 people to evacuate communities along the western shores of Okanagan Lake. The Bald Range wildfire, which has destroyed numerous homes and killed one person, prompted the province to declare a state of emergency as crews face what officials describe as a monumental task.

The fire, which has burned through 156 square kilometers of steep terrain, claimed the life of an 80-year-old woman in the Meadow Valley area, west of Summerland, as she attempted to escape. The blaze has razed most of the small community of Faulder and destroyed numerous other homes, though dangerous conditions have prevented officials from completing a full damage assessment. Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes warned the town's roughly 12,000 residents not to expect a quick return.

"We need to brace ourselves for what's there or what's not there," Holmes said at a briefing, his voice breaking. "It's going to be hard. It's going to be really hard. We all know people who have lost homes. And those people need our help."

The arrival of the Mexican firefighters,...