Canadian province of British Columbia declares state of emergency as far north evacuated due to raging wildfires
- British Columbia declared a state of emergency as crews battled blazes following fresh fires that sparked evacuation orders
- Canada is experiencing a record-setting wildfire season, with official estimates of over 33.9 million acres already scorched
Canada’s western province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Friday as firefighters battled a wildfire raging in the hills and mountains above the town of West Kelowna forcing thousands of evacuations.
West Kelowna, a city of 36,000 people is some 300 kilometres (180 miles) east of Vancouver. Wildfires and evacuations were also being carried out in Kelowna, a city with a population of about 150,000 also on Okanagan Lake.
The flames and smoke were visible from West Kelowna, according to a Reuters witness, and smoke filled the valley surrounding the lake.
Officials said the next 24 to 48 hours could be the most difficult. Earlier the airspace in the area was closed to clear the way for water bombers.
“Over the past 24 hours, the situation has evolved rapidly and we are in for an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead,” the government of British Columbia said in a statement.