Canada puts the military on standby as British Columbia wildfires kill 1 and displace thousands

Canada puts the military on standby as British Columbia wildfires kill 1 and displace thousands  AP News

Canada has put its military on standby to help battle wildfires in British Columbia, where one person has died and thousands have been forced to flee their homes as fast-moving blazes are wreaking destruction

The Canadian Armed Forces are on standby to help the wildfire situation that deteriorated rapidly over the weekend in British Columbia’s Okanagan region, where one person has died, thousands have been evacuated and there’s been extensive property destruction.

An 80-year-old woman died in the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia's wine country, ​Canadian police ‌said, after the blaze nearly doubled in size over the ⁠weekend and forced the evacuation of people in the area.

The Bald Range fire had burned more than 33,000 acres and remained out of control on Sunday, officials said. About 20,000 people were ordered to evacuate.

Wildfires have grown in number and intensity across British Columbia, where a state of emergency has been declared. Evacuations are underway, but firefighters say almost half of BC's 102 fires are out of control.

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency after tens of thousands were ordered to flee a fast-moving wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight. The Bald Range wildfire rapidly grew to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other districts west of Okan

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes as a massive wildfire doubled in size overnight and spread through Canada on Saturday.

B.C. declares state of emergency as wildfire expands and thousands are evacuated  Toronto Star

Thousands told to evacuate in British Columbia's wine region as wildfire grows  Reuters