British Columbia declares state of emergency as Bald Range fire spreads

Premier David Eby announced the measure early Saturday, with more than 100 wildfires burning across the province and close to half of them classified as out of control. Hot temperatures, strong winds and a prolonged drought have combined to accelerate the spread.

The Bald Range fire had covered roughly 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres) and triggered evacuation orders in communities west of Okanagan Lake. All of Summerland, a community of about 12,000 people, was told to leave overnight, together with some 8,000 residents in and around Peachland.

The fire was first reported on Friday evening. It moved through the smaller community of Faulder and traveled roughly 15 km (9 miles) to Summerland in a matter of hours.

Eby said several residents were cut off and had to be rescued, and that search-and-rescue teams were continuing to check areas behind the fire lines. Authorities have not yet established how many homes were lost. According to the premier, some residents were still waiting for word on family members.

Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations at the BC Wildfire Service, described provincial conditions as "explosive" and cautioned that other communities could be hit by fires moving at similar speed. He said firefighting helicopters were redirected to lift out residents who could no longer leave by road.

Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said the state of emergency gives the provincial government added authority, including the power to restrict travel and to secure accommodation for evacuees.

Emergency Info BC, a provincial government service, listed further evacuation orders issued Saturday for the Peachland watershed, the Brenda Mines area, Lower Princeton and the town's downtown core.

Amelia Boultbee, the member of the Legislative Assembly for Penticton-Summerland, wrote on social media Friday night that her thoughts were with firefighters, first responders, evacuees and volunteers in Summerland, Faulder and Peachland.

In a social media post late Friday, Eby urged residents in the affected areas to follow official updates and to leave without delay if instructed. "The conditions are changing extremely quickly," he wrote.

About 1,500 firefighters are deployed across British Columbia, which has issued 39 evacuation orders and 49 evacuation alerts. Crews from Mexico, Australia, France and New Zealand have been sent to assist Canadian teams. Earlier in the week, Eby said the province had enough personnel and aircraft to respond to the fires.

Canada has recorded a difficult wildfire season this year, with major blazes also burning in Ontario and Quebec. A record-setting heat dome over Canada and the U.S. in recent months dried out vegetation across large areas. Neighboring Washington state has seen significant fires this month, and smoke has degraded air quality on both sides of the border. Scientific research has linked the growing severity of wildfire seasons to climate change, pointing to longer and more intense periods of heat and drought.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that Canada formally opened the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Monday. The crossing is the largest land link between Canada and the U.S. and entered service amid continuing trade friction between the two countries.