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Canada’s British Columbia declares emergency over spreading wildfires

Washington: Canada’s western province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency as fast-spreading wildfires forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate their homes, authorit...

Wildfires in British Columbia, Canada, have been spreading rapidly, causing significant damage and prompting a state of emergency. By Sunday morning, there were 102 active fires in the province, with nearly half deemed out of control. Extreme fire behavior was observed in southern British Columbia due to hot and dry conditions, complicating firefighting efforts with poor visibility.

The Bald Range fire, which erupted on Saturday and engulfed Summerland, a town of 12,000 residents, had burned through 10,341 hectares by early Sunday. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating a possible fatality. Prime Minister David Eby warned of the unpredictable nature of the blaze and announced air evacuations for those trapped by the fire.

As of now, over 20,000 individuals have been forced to evacuate their homes. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed gratitude to the firefighters and first responders for their tireless efforts and pledged federal support, emphasizing solidarity with the affected communities.

Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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