Crews battle wildfires in western U.S. and Canada

Wildfires are burning across the western United States and Canada, prompting evacuations and concern for residents. In western Canada, over 20,000 people were forced to flee communities along Okanagan Lake in British Columbia over the weekend as a fast-moving wildfire, known as the Bald Range fire, destroyed homes. The fire, which started on Friday evening, had consumed nearly 10,341 hectares of land by Sunday, according to the DW English report.

The Bald Range fire led to the evacuation of about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland, and 12,000 residents in Summerland. British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday due to the wildfires. According to the BC Wildfire Service, there were 102 active blazes in the province by Sunday morning, with nearly half of them out of control. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported a possible fatality, but officials have yet to provide casualty or damage figures.

In the United States, the National Interagency Fire Center reported 183 new wildfires since Saturday, including eight large ones. Residents in affected areas are keeping a weary eye out for possible evacuation orders, while those who have already fled are waiting to see what will be left when they return.

Brief written by urgent.news from NPR, Associated Press, Winnipeg Free Press, DW English (Top Stories), DW News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.