Photo Gallery: B.C. wildfire forces thousands to flee

The Bald Range wildfire, west of Summerland, B.C., exploded in size to more than 100 square kilometres by Saturday afternoon, forcing thousands to flee as it roared toward communities on the western side of Okanagan Lake, consuming homes in its wake.

Within a few hours of being detected at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the fire had grown to measure 50 square kilometres before swiftly doubling in size again as it closed the 15-kilometre distance from its point of ignition to Summerland.

Here are some scenes from the area as residents fled their homes and emergency crews worked to close roads as the wildfire burned.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2026.