BC declares emergency as wildfire forces 20,000 evacuations

On Monday, British Columbia declared a state of emergency after a fast‑moving wildfire forced more than 20,000 residents to evacuate overnight. The blaze, which ignited near the town of Merritt in the Thompson‑Okanagan region, leapt across 10,000 hectares in 12 hours, fueled by gusts over 70 km/h. The province’s emergency services called for immediate federal assistance and opened 12 evacuation centres across the region. The emergency declaration allows the provincial government to mobilise extra resources and lift restrictions on travel and fuel sales.

This week’s fire follows a season that saw BC record its highest number of wildfire incidents in a single year. Climate‑change models predict drier summers and higher temperatures, which have turned the province’s forests into tinderboxes. The current blaze is part of a chain of fires that have already scorched more than 1.5 million acres across the province, leaving 400 communities at risk. The rapid spread is attributed to a sudden shift in wind direction and the unusually dry vegetation left by last year’s prolonged drought.

Firefighters have deployed 180 ground crews and 25 water‑dro