Over 12,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes in Canada's Okanagan region due to the Bald Range wildfire, which broke out on Friday and rapidly expanded to 53 sq miles (136 sq km). The fire remains out of control as of Monday, 10 August 2026.
Police reported on Sunday that an 80-year-old woman died while trying to escape the blaze. Officials in British Columbia are currently working to determine the number of homes lost to the fire.
The Okanagan area, known for its vineyards, has experienced extreme drought in recent years, with Okanagan Lake reaching its lowest level since 1992 in July. The Bald Range wildfire is one of over 100 fires burning in British Columbia, with 70 of these starting in the past week.
British Columbia's premier, David Eby, declared a state of emergency over the weekend, urging residents to comply with evacuation orders due to the rapid movement of the fires. Experts suggest that climate change, leading to hotter and drier weather, has increased the intensity and frequency of wildfires in the last decade.