Smoke in B.C. Interior causing poor air quality but helping fire fight

British Columbia's wildfire season has been described as brutal after a delayed start, with a blaze that moved rapidly in the south Okanagan. Premier David Eby said the "horrific" Bald Range wildfire outran modeling, forcing crews to shift from fighting flames to helping residents flee. Up to 20,000 people were evacuated from Summerland and surrounding areas as the fire spread at an astonishing speed.

Eby said the province would review lessons from the fire that exploded within hours of its detection on August 7, with conversations about managing forests, construction in wildland-urban interface areas, and building resilience to wildfires. An 80-year-old woman died while trying to escape her home, a tragic loss that Eby acknowledged.

The Bald Range fire covered about 184 square kilometers, with hazards still lingering, including downed power lines. Evacuees remain desperate for information, but safety remains the top priority.