British Columbia district declares state of emergency, issues evacuation orders as wildfire rages

TORONTO, Aug 8 - A state of emergency was declared by the district of Summerland, British Columbia, early Saturday as a fast-moving wildfire swept through western Canada, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

A statement from the region’s emergency management centre says officials are aware some residents have chosen to stay behind, despite orders covering more than 2,600 properties on the west side of Okanagan Lake.

Officials urging British Columbia residents to obey wildfire evacuation orders  Toronto Star