Evacuees slowly learn of losses from B.C. wildfire that forced thousands to flee
The blaze has destroyed homes and triggered a provincial state of emergency as crews work to contain fast-moving flames.
- The Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia has scorched 13,618 hectares near Okanagan Lake as of Monday, remaining out of control and triggering mass evacuations across Summerland and surrounding communities.
- Extreme heat, sustained winds, and prolonged drought fueled the Bald Range fire's rapid expansion, with the BC Wildfire Service describing fire conditions province-wide as "explosive" and warning other communities could face similarly fast-moving blazes.
- RCMP confirmed an 80-year-old woman died while attempting to evacuate her Meadow Valley home, while British Columbia Premier David Eby reported "significant structure loss" as the fire incinerated homes in the community of Faulder.
- British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency this weekend, forcing more than 20,000 residents to evacuate Summerland and other Okanagan communities, while Ottawa responded by assisting with shelter for displaced residents.
- With more than 900 wildfires burning nationwide and over 120 active blazes in British Columbia, the Canadian Armed Forces remain on standby, assessing the crisis "hour by hour" as officials warn conditions remain elevated.
39 Articles
39 Articles
Air tankers, helicopters over new wildfire start southeast of Kelowna
The BC Wildfire Service has aircraft over a new wildfire start southeast of Kelowna. The 1.1-hectare fire is burning near Lower Barge Lake, about 6.5 kilometres east of Highway 33. BCWS says it has dispatched two initial attack crews and helicopters and air tankers to the fire. Flight tracking websi...
Bald Range Wildfire Forces More Than 20,000 to Flee B.C. Homes
Kyla Gaudiuso says she found out her home in Faulder, B.C., had been destroyed when she received a photo of the ridge where it once stood, completely engulfed in flames. The community west of Summerland was one of the first areas overrun by the Bald Range wildfire that has claimed one life and forced more than 20,000 residents around Okanagan Lake to flee. RCMP say an 80-year-old woman died because of the fire as she tried to escape her home in …
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