Bald Range wildfire forces more than 20,000 people to flee

British Columbia declared a state of emergency Saturday after the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire forced more than 20,000 people to flee communities along Okanagan Lake. Evacuation orders covered all of Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, and about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland; those community figures are rounded. First reported Friday evening, the fire grew to more than 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) within hours and traveled roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) toward Okanagan Lake.

More than 100 wildfires were burning across British Columbia, nearly half of them out of control amid hot, windy weather and prolonged drought. Homes were destroyed, but officials had no count; a possible death remained unconfirmed, and aircraft rescued more than 50 people cut off by road. Those conditions and counts are a Saturday snapshot.