Wildfires raging in the western Canadian province of British Columbia gained momentum, growing significantly in both scale and intensity in a situation already declared a state of emergency on Saturday by British Columbia Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene.

By Sunday morning, the BC Wildfire Service reported 102 active blazes in the province (up from 70 on Saturday), nearly half of them out of control.

"Over the last 24 hours, extreme fire behavior was seen in southern BC due to the continuous hot and dry conditions," the service said, adding that response efforts were being hampered by "elevated fire behavior coupled with severely poor visibility."

The Bald Range fire — which exploded Saturday and enveloped the 12,000-resident Summerland area — had consumed nearly 10,341 hectares (25,552 acres) of land by early Sunday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Sunday that it was "investigating to confirm" a possible fatality.

Officials have yet to provide casualty or damage figures, nor have they published a list of missing persons.

British Columbia Premier David Eby, who warned of the dangerous and unpredictable nature of the blaze on Saturday, said, "air evacuations are underway for people who remain isolated behind the fire perimeter."

"To everyone affected, you are not facing this alone," said Eby in a statement, "the entire province is with you."

Canadian media reported the airlifting of more than 50 people from the community of Faulder.

In all, more than 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate the area.

On Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took to X to thank firefighters and first responders for "working tirelessly to keep people safe."

Carney also pledged solidarity, writing: "The federal government stands ready to help and support the government of British Columbia in these efforts. I'm keeping everyone forced from their homes in my thoughts and hoping they can return safely soon."

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Edited by: Sean Sinico