British Columbia Wildfire Grows to 9,500 Hectares

The Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia is currently burning out of control, having expanded to about 9,500 hectares. This rapid growth has led to evacuation orders in Summerland, which has declared a state of emergency and has a population of approximately 12,000, and Peachland, home to about 6,500 residents.

Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes reported that several farms have been impacted, though the extent of damage to buildings is still unclear. The wildfire has also caused disruptions to electricity supplies in Summerland and resulted in a boil-water notice due to untreated water entering the municipal system after the water treatment plant was bypassed because of the fire.

Across British Columbia, about 1,500 firefighters are currently deployed, with authorities issuing 38 evacuation orders and 49 alerts related to over 100 fires. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported that wildfires have burned approximately four million hectares across Canada this year, exacerbated by hot and dry conditions.