B.C. declares state of emergency as thousands flee Summerland due to wildfire

VANCOUVER — Officials have now announced a B.C.-wide state of emergency with over 100 wildfires burning in the province as of Saturday, including a devastating blaze that threatened Summerland and Peachland overnight.

“Since first reported early yesterday evening, the Bald Range wildfire has grown rapidly as winds intensified, pushing into the Summerland area and affecting communities throughout the surrounding valleys,” said Premier David Eby. “We know there have been significant losses of homes and property. We also know that some people became trapped as conditions changed quickly. To everyone affected, you are not facing this alone – the entire province is with you.”

Cliff Chapman, BCWS director of wildfire operations, said conditions in the province, especially in the southern third, are “explosive.”

“The conditions we are facing right now are conditions we have never faced before,” said BCWS director of wildfire operations. “When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged, and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night.”

Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene said advice from experts and the BC Wildfire Service has helped inform the state of provincial emergency.

Eby said his latest briefings with BC Wildfire brought up terminology that he had never heard before.

“I heard the lead commander on the site talk about this being like a bomb going off in the Summerland region. […] He described flames on a hundred-foot tree, flames going 200 feet above that, and the fire creating its own weather system, which creates lightning, which then feeds on itself,” Eby told reporters Saturday afternoon (Aug. 8).

“This was a remarkable escalation in fire activity, and I just want to underline how quickly conditions can change on the ground, particularly for those who are facing evacuation orders, how important it is to understand that it can change from feeling very safe and far away to being right on your doorstep and you being trapped and having to be rescued.”

Residents are encouraged to stay with friends and family to support accommodations for those in need.

A B.C. state of emergency has not been declared since 2023.