VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — British Columbia declared a state of emergency Saturday as a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes, trapped residents and forced more than 20,000 people to flee communities along Okanagan Lake in western Canada.
Premier David Eby announced the emergency as more than 100 wildfires burned across the province, nearly half of them out of control in hot, windy weather and prolonged drought.
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The entire community of Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, was ordered evacuated overnight, along with about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland. Officials had not determined how many homes were destroyed.
Eby said some residents became trapped and had to be rescued, while search-and-rescue crews continued looking behind the fire lines for anyone else who may have been caught.
