RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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PENTICTON, British Columbia \u2014 British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday after thousands of people in the western \u200bCanadian province were ordered to flee a fast-moving wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight.The Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control and grew rapidly to about 23,500 acres, prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other districts \u200cwest of Okanagan Lake in the province's southern interior. The region produces most of B.C.'s wine and is Canada's second-largest wine-producing area.Premier David Eby told a news conference on Saturday \u2060that one fire official had likened the fire to "a bomb going \u200boff.""He described flames on 100-foot tree, flames going 200 feet \u2060above that, and the fire creating its own weather system, which creates lightning, which then feeds on itself," Eby said."Homes have been lost, \u200cand properties have been destroyed. Some \u200cpeople became trapped as conditions changed very quickly, and needed to be rescued," the premier said, adding it \u2060remained a very dynamic and threatening situation.Summerland has a population of about 12,000 people, \u2060according to the 2021 census, and Peachland is home to about 6,500 residents.A state of emergency grants the provincial government immediate access to special powers including travel restrictions and supply protections to prevent price gouging, and specific tools to coordinate rescue work.Officials said the Bald Range wildfire triggered the largest evacuation event so far this summer and more than 20,000 people across B.C. have been forced to evacuate their homes."A lot of farms have been affected. We don't know how many structures have been lost. They're \u200cstill busy fighting the fire," Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said in a phone interview from \u200bPenticton. "We have to brace ourselves for the worst."Overnight evacuationMany residents left overnight, driving south to Penticton or north to Kelowna before highways began to close.Terry Fries of Summerland was watching a football game on Friday night when a neighbor advised him to get a bag ready as the fire grew."At the time, it was still farther back, and you could see it behind the hills," he said. When B.C. authorities issued the evacuation order around midnight, he and his family drove about 28 miles north to the city of Kelowna.Residents recorded videos of fires by the highway and of structures burning as they evacuated. By Saturday af
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