British Columbia Declares Emergency Over 100 Wildfires as 9,500-Hectare Bald Range Blaze Drives Evacuations
Updated
Updated · RTÉ News · Aug 8
British Columbia Declares Emergency Over 100 Wildfires as 9,500-Hectare Bald Range Blaze Drives Evacuations
3 articles · Updated · RTÉ News · Aug 8
Summary
British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency as wildfires forced thousands from their homes, with Premier David Eby saying homes and properties were lost and some residents had to be rescued.
The 9,500-hectare Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control west of Okanagan Lake, triggering evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and nearby districts in BC's main wine-growing region.
Summerland — population about 12,000 — lost power and issued a boil-water notice after untreated water bypassed its treatment plant; Mayor Doug Holmes said farms were hit and structural losses were still unclear.
Across BC, about 1,500 firefighting personnel are deployed as the province lists 38 evacuation orders, 49 alerts and more than 100 active fires amid hot, dry conditions.
Canada has seen 4 million hectares burn this year, with Ontario and Quebec also battling blazes; Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa stands ready to support BC's firefighting effort.
As night-vision helicopters rescue trapped residents, are extreme rank 5 wildfires making parts of Canada's wildland-urban interface completely uninhabitable?
What hidden economic and health tolls will the unstoppable Bald Range wildfire exact on North America long after the flames are extinguished?
With embers jumping a kilometer ahead, how can towns outrun wildfires that now move faster than traditional evacuation routes allow?