'It's going crazy': Eyewitnesses capture forest fires raging across British Columbia
Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a fast-moving wildfire in a remote part of western Canada spread rapidly, doubling in size since it was first detected on Friday.
The Bald Range fire now occupies more than 36 sq miles (95 sq km) across the Summerland and Okanagan-Similkameen districts of British Columbia, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
Erick Thompson, an emergency official with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, said this was one of the "quickest-moving, largest fires in such a short time" he had seen in the fire-prone region.
The fire remained "out of control" as of Saturday morning.
A column of smoke was seen rising over a residential street in Summerland
The Bald Range wildfire burns, as seen from a vehicle, northwest of Summerland, British Columbia, Canada
The district of Summerland, which has a population of around 12,000, was ordered to evacuate. The power went out across the area, officials said early Saturday.
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.
"Throughout the night and into this morning, first responders, BC Wildfire Service crews, [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officers, emergency management teams, and local communities worked tirelessly to keep people safe and fight the fire near Summerland," BC Premier David Eby said on social media.
"They continue to do everything possible to protect people and communities."
It was not yet clear how many structures had been destroyed in the blaze.
The nearby districts of Okanagan, Peachland, and Okanagan-Similkameen also issued evacuation orders, as well as evacuation alerts in some areas.
On Friday evening, Thompson had been giving updates on the rapidly-spreading fire from the Okanagan-Similkameen emergency operations centre. The next morning, in a video posted from his car, he said he had left the centre to evacuate his own family.
"I had to leave the EOC to come and get my family to leave this area. We're heading south," he said.