British Columbia Premier David Eby told a news conference on Saturday that one fire official had likened the fire to “a bomb going off”.
“Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed. Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly, and needed to be rescued,” the premier said.
A state of emergency allows the provincial government access to special powers including travel restrictions and supply protections to prevent price gouging, and extra resources to coordinate rescue work.
Summerland, which has a population of about 12,000 people, has been one of the hardest hit areas and forced to evacuate. So were residents in parts of Peachland, which is home to about 6,500 residents.
“We have been on evacuation alert many times,” said Earl Kurz, a Peachland resident of 30 years. “This is the first time we were actually evacuated.”
Kurz was on a boat with his wife in Okanagan Lake on Friday afternoon, when he saw clear blue skies rapidly turn hazy grey. By nightfall, dark clouds of smoke above a raging wildfire came into view. It was headed towards Kurz.
“We watched it from the lake,” he said. “It was unreal.”
Hours later, police knocked on his door and ordered him and his wife to evacuate.
Kurz said they are now safe in a camper miles away.
