Wildfires force 20,000 to flee as British Columbia declares state of emergency

British Columbia has declared a provincial state of emergency due to widespread wildfires. Over 100 wildfires are burning across the province, with nearly half of them out of control, fueled by hot, windy weather and prolonged drought.

The wildfires have forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes, with 20,000 people displaced. According to RTE News, homes have been lost and properties destroyed, and some people were trapped and needed to be rescued as conditions changed quickly.

The Bald Range wildfire, which is burning out of control, has grown to about 9,500 hectares, prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland, and other districts west of Okanagan Lake, as reported by RTE News. Summerland, with a population of about 12,000, and Peachland, with a population of about 6,500, are among the affected areas. The region is Canada's second-largest wine-producing area, and many farms have been affected.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, RTE News, MyJoyOnline Ghana — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.