Wildfires force 20,000 to flee as British Columbia declares state of emergency

More than 100 wildfires burned across the province, nearly half out of control. VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- 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. 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.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

Scoop News DeskColumbia, South Carolina · Published Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTCUpdated Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 12:30 AM UTC

Coverage image for: Wildfires force 20,000 to flee as British Columbia declares state of emergency

Media link supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app.

Scoop News reporting summary

The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.

Chapman described fire conditions across British Columbia as “explosive” and warned that other communities could face fires similar to the one that forced the evacuation of Summerland.