Hundreds Evacuated, Thousands on Notice as Wildfire Flares in Southern B.C.

The Christie Mountain wildfire is shown on the East side of Skaha Lake near Okanagan Falls, B.C. in this image provided by the B.C. Wildfire Service late Tuesday evening, August 18, 2020. The Canadian Press/HO-B.C. Wildfire Service

PENTICTON, B.C.—British Columbia’s unusually quiet wildfire season ended abruptly as a fire flared in the southern Okanagan, forcing hundreds from their homes.

Smoke from the blaze, above Skaha Lake near Penticton, was first spotted Tuesday afternoon and by midnight about 10 square kilometres of bush had been charred.