The authorities of British Columbia have activated this Saturday the state of emergency throughout the province due to the rapid advance of the fire declared on Friday, which in a few hours has forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 residents.
"We have declared a Provincial State of Emergency at the provincial level, as the fast-moving new wildfire in Bald Range is forcing thousands of people to leave their homes in the Summerland area," announced the Premier of British Columbia, David Eby, in a statement released on social media.
Eby explained that the situation in Summerland, at the southwestern tip of Okanagan Lake and about 250 kilometers east of Vancouver, remains "very dynamic and threatening," after a fire that initially seemed under control suddenly intensified.
The provincial authorities hope that the declaration of the state of emergency will provide the Government with additional tools to combat the flames and allow it to "take additional measures" —such as requisitioning accommodations or imposing local travel restrictions— "if necessary."
Eby himself has defended the evacuation order already issued, reminding that this type of decision "saves lives" and "allows firefighting teams and RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) officers to concentrate their efforts where they are needed."
Extremely dangerous conditions
The Premier has emphasized the speed at which the fire is spreading, which in just three hours has devastated about 5,000 hectares in the Okanagan Valley, raising the burned hectares from the Bald Range fire to 9,500, according to the latest report released by the municipality of Summerland.
"The conditions are extremely dangerous and change minute by minute. The fires spread with incredible speed," he warned, urging residents to follow official instructions in light of the "notable escalation in fire activity."
In similar terms, the director of wildfire operations of the British Columbia Wildfire Service, Cliff Chapman, has stated —in remarks collected by the CBC network— that Bald Range is "one of the most difficult fires we have ever faced."
"I just want to emphasize the speed with which conditions on the ground can change, especially for those facing evacuation orders," he emphasized, noting that they are facing "conditions they have never (before) seen."
Almost 22,000 people with evacuation orders
In this scenario, about 21,700 people remain under evacuation orders in the Canadian province, according to the latest report published by the authorities of British Columbia, updated at 11:30 a.m. (local time).
The report details that 40 evacuation orders are still in effect in different parts of the territory. These measures affect about 13,200 properties whose occupants have been forced to leave their homes due to the risk of fire.
In addition, 49 evacuation alerts remain active, extending to another 4,800 properties and around 9,700 people. In these areas, authorities are asking residents to be ready to leave with very little notice if the evolution of the fire requires expanding evacuations.