Canadian officials declared a state of emergency in British Columbia on Saturday, August 9th, 2026, after a fast-moving wildfire forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate their homes.

British Columbia Premier David Eby described the intensity of the blaze, quoting a fire official who compared it to "a bomb going off." He detailed flames engulfing a 100-foot (30-meter) tree and extending 200 feet above it, with the fire creating its own weather system that generates lightning.

The wildfire, first reported on Friday evening, expanded rapidly overnight, spreading to approximately 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres) by Saturday. This prompted the evacuation of all 12,000 residents in the Summerland district.

Premier Eby noted that homes and properties have been lost, and some individuals became trapped as conditions changed swiftly, requiring rescue operations.

The Summerland fire is among 105 wildfires currently burning across British Columbia. The province has experienced 70 new wildfires in the past week alone, according to British Columbia Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar.

Across Canada, wildfires have scorched 4 million hectares in 2026, as reported by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

Sources