Wildfire in British Columbia forces 20,000 evacuations, state of emergency declared

A fast-moving wildfire in British Columbia forced the evacuation of approximately 20,000 people from communities along Okanagan Lake over the weekend, prompting the province to declare a state of emergency and the federal government to pledge assistance. The Bald Range fire, which was discovered Friday evening about 10 miles northwest of Summerland, rapidly expanded to burn over 25,000 acres by Sunday morning, according to officials.

The fire's explosive growth began shortly after it was spotted around 5:30 p.m. Pacific time on Friday. By Saturday, it had scorched nearly 12,400 acres in about four hours. British Columbia Premier David Eby described the fire's behavior as "like a bomb going off," calling it a "remarkable escalation of fire activity." The blaze is considered out of control.

Evacuation orders were issued in phases. About 12,000 residents in Summerland were ordered to leave shortly after midnight Saturday, followed by an additional 8,000 in nearby Peachland and surrounding areas. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen later ordered residents of the Brent Lake and Shingle Creek district to evacuate on Sunday due to the fire's spread. At least 55 people were...