The latest on the wildfire burning near Summerland, B.C.

Thousands of residents in the British Columbia communities of Summerland and Peachland have been chased out of their homes by an explosive wildfire that sprang up Friday. 

Here is the latest on the wildfire that forced 20,000 to flee (all times PT): 

4:35 p.m.

RCMP in British Columbia say they are investigating a possible fatality in the massive fire near Summerland.

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4:07 p.m. 

An evacuation alert has been expanded due to the Bald Range Wildfire that has already destroyed homes around Summerland. 

The alert covers an area on the west side of Highway 97, skirting Penticton, but includes the northwest corner of Skaha Lake. 

The fire has chased thousands out of their homes in Summerland and surrounding communities, and near Peachland. 

The Penticton Convention Centre, that is acting as the emergency operations centre for those evacuated, is just blocks from the perimeter of the evacuation alert. 

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3:15 p.m. 

The B.C. government says it has confirmed report of “significant structural loss” in the fierce wildfire that forced many thousands from Summerland and near Peachland. 

A statement from Premier David Eby’s office says they don’t have specific numbers of homes lost and would be premature to comment given how aggressive the fire behaviour is in the area. 

Eby told a news conference that the fire was described to him as “like a bomb,” where flames jumped from tree top to tree top. 

The fire overwhelmed the community of Faulder with dozens of homes destroyed before it moved toward Summerland, and a perimeter map of the fire shows it burned to the lake shore north of the community. 

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2:45 p.m. 

The wildfire that forced 20,000 people from their homes in Summerland and near Peachland has doubled in size in about 24 hours. 

The blaze was reported at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday and quickly exploded to about 50 square kilometres. 

By mid-afternoon Saturday, the service said the fire had grow to 103 square kilometres. 

Cliff Chapman with the BC Wildfire Service says fire conditions in the southern part of the province are explosive, and warned there may be more wildfires similar to the one that forced the evacuation of Summerland. 

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2 p.m. 

The director of the BC Wildfire Service says their firefighter helicopters turned into rescue aircraft overnight as they pulled people trapped from the wildfire that raced into Summerland. 

Cliff Chapman says he’s certain that the outcome would have been significantly worse had there not been an all-out effort from people in many jurisdictions.

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says 50 people needed to be rescued when the fire overran the area. 

Premier David Eby says the search and rescue efforts continue behind the fire lines for anyone else who may not have been able to leave. 

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1:30 p.m.

The B.C. government has declared a provincial state of emergency after the latest wildfire in the province forced thousands from Summerland and Peachland. 

Premier David Eby said he was told the wildfire was like a bomb going off and it displayed the highest on the rating scale of wildfires. 

Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said the designation of the state of emergency will give the province the tools it needs to be ready for the escalating wildfire situation. 

She said the province will be able to commandeer accommodations or bring in local travel restrictions in specific areas, however she says no restrictions are in place right now. 

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12:35 p.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government stands ready to help British Columbia in its firefighting efforts. 

Carney said on social media that he is keeping all those who have been forced from their homes in his thoughts and is hoping they can return safely soon. 

He mentions that thousand in Summerland have been evacuated as intense wildfires threaten the community. 

The prime minister also thanks the “brave firefighters and first responders working tirelessly to keep people safe.” 

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12:10 p.m.

Penticton’s Mayor Julius Bloomfield says the hours since nearby Summerland was ordered evacuated have been “challenging” for his community. 

He says suddenly most of residents of Summerland — roughly 25 per cent of the of his city’s population — converged on Penticton. 

Bloomfield says it comes at a time when Penticton is saturated with tourists on Peach Fest weekend. 

While it caught many by surprise, he says staff mobilized immediately to move the emergency operations facility to Penticton’s convention centre to accommodate the high volume of people coming through. 

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11:30 a.m.

British Columbia Premier David Eby and other officials will give an update on growing wildfire situation in the province. 

Eby, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar, Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene and Cliff Chapman, the director of wildfire operations with the BC Wildfire Service will update the province at 1 p.m. 

There are 105 wildfires burning in the province and about half of them are out of control. 

Five of those wildfires are threatening communities or have already destroyed homes. 

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11:15 a.m. 

The BC Wildfire Service says the fire threatening the community of Summerland has nearly doubled in size since exploding to 50 square kilometres in a few hours late Friday. 

The fire is now measured at 95 square kilometres. 

A perimeter map put out by the BC Wildfire Service suggests the fire rolled over numerous homes right to the waterline north of Summerland.

However, officials have not said how many homes have been lost in the wildfire. 

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10:30 a.m. 

Organizers for the Peach Festival in Penticton, B.C., have announced it has cancelled all its programmed activities for Saturday as the region responds to the nearby wildfire.

The festival is an annual South Okanagan tradition that began in 1947 to celebrate the peach harvest, but a statement on social media says it has become clear that plans cannot continue as usual, given the evolving and unpredictable wildfire situation.

It says its staff would spend the day supporting the community and the emergency operations.

Many of the residents evacuated from Summerland went south to Penticton where a reception centre has been set up. 

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10 a.m. 

The District of Summerland declares a state of local emergency and orders the evacuation of the entire district.

The state of emergency also gives the district the authority to control travel in the area.

The district says the Bald Range Wildfire is a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of residents.

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9:40 a.m. 

A large section of B.C.’s southern Interior is under an orange air quality warning.

Wildfire smoke blankets the area from the border to the Cariboo region.

Environment Canada says some regions, including the Similkameen and the central and southern Okanagan, may see some relief from the smoke into the late evening and overnight into Sunday.

Lower grade yellow alerts also fan out over much of the southern part of province into the central Interior and to the east into Alberta.

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9:30 a.m. 

Graham Statt, chief administrative officer with the District of Summerland, says power has been shut off to Summerland and there won’t be potable water to drink.

However, he says the water pressure remains strong and fire crews are using it to protect the area. 

Meanwhile, an emergency reception centre has been set up in Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, south of Summerland. 

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8 a.m. 

The BC Wildfire Service says airtankers are dropping fire retardant along the fire’s eastern flank. 

But the wind is fanning the flames, carrying embers up to a kilometre ahead of the main body of the fire. 

The service says the fire behaviour became volatile and eventually compromised both the safety and efficiency of the tankers’ objectives. 

The Canadian Press 

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