\n<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Summerland has a population of about 12,000 people, according to the 2021 census, and Peachland is home to about 6,500 residents.<\/p>\n
The Bald Range wildfires triggered the largest evacuation event this summer and more than 20,000 people across British Columbia have evacuated their homes, officials say.<\/p>\n
“A lot of farms have been affected. We don’t know how many structures have been lost. They’re still busy fighting the fire,” Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes told Reuters. <\/p>\n
“We have to brace ourselves for the worst.”<\/p>\n
Hundreds of residents living in Summerland care facilities, including senior housing, were being relocated to safer areas, according to Interior Health, a publicly funded health authority in BC. <\/p>\n
It was not yet clear how many structures had been destroyed in the blaze. <\/p>\n
The nearby districts of Okanagan, Peachland, and Okanagan-Similkameen also issued evacuation orders, as well as evacuation alerts in some areas. <\/p>\n
In Okanagan, there are a lot of horses that residents have been struggling to evacuate, Canadian broadcaster CBC reported. <\/p>\n
Those unable to relocate their animals left their gates open in the hope the animals would find their own way to safety, local residents told CBC. <\/p>\n
Some owners also painted markings on their animals to make them easier to identify later, according to the outlet. <\/p>\n