Canadians make overnight drive to safety as fire spreads

Emergency personnel cordoned off roads as the Bald Range wildfire raced through rural British Columbia, Canada. (AFP image) WEST KELOWNA: Larry and Mora Goodman were among residents forced to evacuate their home at 3 a.m., joining a convoy with neighbors heading to safety. Many community members were elderly and wary of night driving.

Mora Goodman, from West Kelowna, told AFP that their community was at risk from the fast-moving fire near Peachland. The Bald Range fire ignited on Friday and rapidly spread over the weekend, displacing over 20,000 people. Officials warned the situation could worsen due to drought in the region more than 250 miles from Vancouver.

An 80-year-old woman died while fleeing her home, and the provincial government declared a state of emergency. The Goodmans, living in Peachland, a threatened community, described their night drive to West Kelowna. Larry Goodman said he felt fortunate that their community remained intact. Restaurants and civil organizations in West Kelowna provided food and support to evacuees.

Experts say Canada faces increasing wildfire threats, with the country hosting about a quarter of the world's boreal forest area. Temperatures in Canada are rising twice as fast as the global average, leading to more vulnerable communities in fire-prone areas. Ottawa is working to improve firefighting resources, but challenges remain.

Over 4 million hectares have burned this year, an area larger than Switzerland. Tens of thousands have been displaced, and air quality in cities like Toronto plummeted. In West Kelowna, Salvation Army officer Rob Henson reported diverse impacts, including migrant workers stranded without belongings. People were uncertain about returning home, causing distress.