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3h ago

Out-of-Control Bald Range Wildfire Forces Mass Evacuations and Kills One

Its extreme, rapidly changing behavior has overwhelmed local firefighting capacity and prompted the province to invoke emergency powers.

The Bald Range wildfire, that has forced 20,000 people out of their homes in the south Okanagan region, burns in Summerland, B.C., late Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
This handout photo released on August 8 by the BC Wildlife Service shows the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland in Canada's western British Columbia province
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Overview

  • Officials confirmed late Sunday that the Bald Range/Summerland fire has grown to about 13,618 hectares and remains out of control.
  • More than 20,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, with full evacuation orders issued for Summerland and large orders for nearby Peachland.
  • The RCMP said an 80-year-old Meadow Valley woman died while fleeing and the B.C. Coroners Service has opened an investigation into the death.
  • Fire officials reported the blaze generated its own weather, which has forced emergency air and ground rescues and delayed a full assessment of home and property losses.
  • The Bald Range blaze is one of more than 100 active fires in British Columbia this season, a surge researchers tie to human-driven climate change and that is straining crews and equipment across the province.