Authorities in British Columbia have declared a state of emergency in Summerland as a rapidly advancing wildfire threatens communities and forces thousands of residents to evacuate.
The Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control early Saturday after growing to about 5,000 hectares. The fire started roughly 15 kilometres west of Summerland, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
Summerland, about 45 kilometres from Kelowna, has also experienced a power outage as the fire intensified. Officials issued a boil-water advisory after untreated water entered the system when the local treatment plant was bypassed because of the wildfire threat.
The district has a population of about 12,000 people, according to the 2021 census.
Wildfires have affected several parts of Canada this year, with prolonged hot and dry conditions increasing the risk of fires spreading rapidly through forested areas. Canada has received firefighting assistance from Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand.
About 1,500 firefighters are currently battling wildfires across British Columbia as authorities remain on alert for additional outbreaks. Dry conditions and lightning strikes have heightened concerns over new fires and holdover blazes.
The province has issued 39 evacuation orders and 49 evacuation alerts as crews work to contain the fires and protect threatened communities.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said earlier this week that the province has sufficient resources to respond to the wildfire situation, with additional firefighters and aircraft available from Canada and other countries.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre estimates that wildfires have burned about 3.9 million hectares across Canada so far this year.
Goodness Anunobi
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