Canadian officials on Saturday declared a state of emergency in British Columbia after more than 20,000 people were ordered to flee a fast-moving wildfire.

Describing the intensity of the blaze, British Columbia Premier David Eby said a fire official compared it to "a bomb going off."

"He described flames on a 100-foot (30-meter) tree, flames going 200 feet above that, and the fire creating its own weather system, which creates lightning," Eby said.

"Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed. Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly, and needed to be rescued," he added. 

Wildfire in British Columbia nearly doubles in size overnight

The fire, first reported Friday evening, grew rapidly overnight, triggering widespread evacuation orders.

By Saturday, it had spread to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), prompting all 12,000 residents of the Summerland district to evacuate.

The Summerland blaze is one of many fires challenging emergency crews across British Columbia.

The province has seen 70 new wildfires over the past week, and 105 are currently burning, according to British Columbia Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar. 

Canada grapples with large wildfires

Fires have scorched 4 million hectares in Canada in 2026, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

Blazes flared up in several regions, including Ontario and Quebec, this year as hot, dry conditions fueled fires in dense forest areas.

In recent years, Canada has faced a growing number of destructive wildfire seasons. 

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

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