More than 350 Wildfires Continue Burning in BC, Displacing Residents, Destroying Homes

30,000 residents displaced, more may be forced to evacuate

Smoke from the McDougall Creek fire drifts over Okanagan Lake from Kelowna, B.C., on Aug. 17, 2023. Joe O'Connal/The Canadian Press

Tens of thousands of British Columbia residents have been forced to flee as fires continue to rage across the province, and destroying homes in Kelowna, West Kelowna, and the Shuswap area.

An estimated 30,000 people have been displaced and another 36,000 have been told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. However, there were no new evacuation orders issued overnight on Aug. 19.