International

British Columbia declares state of emergency due to wildfires, 20,000 evacuated

Over 100 active wildfires in the Canadian province, with significant damage in the Okanagan Lake area.

10 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: British Columbia declares state of emergency due to wildfires, 20,000 evacuated — Archive photoPhoto: BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives · Flickr · BY

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency due to over 100 active wildfires in the province. Approximately 20,000 people have been evacuated for safety reasons. Authorities report that the most aggressive fires are concentrated in the Okanagan Lake area, which has seen thousands of hectares of land destroyed.

Additionally, the situation has caused severe disruptions to the power grid, further complicating the emergency for affected residents. Efforts to contain the wildfires are ongoing, but climatic challenges are hindering firefighters' efforts.

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