Local state of emergency declared, highway closed for several hours.
A raging wildfire in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley has forced 1,500 people
from their homes, and officials are asking dozens more to be prepared to
leave at a moment's notice.
Fire officials confirmed that the fast-moving blaze, which was
spotted in an area called Trepannier Bench some time late Sunday
afternoon, quickly whipped into a major burn by 30- to 40-kilometre per
hour winds, reaching an estimated 100 hectares in size by 6 p.m. PT.
Police say a number of helicopters, a water bomber and ground crews
were quickly brought in to battle the blaze. Officials say the biggest
challenges are the wind and the unpredictability of the fire.
Resident Charles Kilpatrick, who spoke to CBC News from an emergency
evacuation centre after being ordered out of his home by RCMP, said the
fire progressed "very quickly."
"Within a matter of an hour, really, we just looked over the lake and
saw the smoke and then sure enough it just spread," he said.
Residents of the following streets have been ordered to leave their homes: more
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