'Total incinerated destruction': Canada wildfire evacuees wonder if they still have homes

What the report says

More than 12,000 people in British Columbia’s Okanagan region have been ordered to evacuate after the Bald Range wildfire spread rapidly over the weekend, according to the BBC. The fire broke out on Friday and expanded within hours, leaving officials still assessing how many homes may have been lost as of Monday. The province has also declared a state of emergency as crews try to keep pace with multiple fast-moving blazes.

The BBC reported that residents in communities including Peachland and Summerland have described leaving with little warning and returning only to find scorched land and heavy ash. Some evacuees said they were unsure whether their homes were still standing. One resident, Earl Kurz, told the BBC the damage looked like “total incinerated destruction,” while another evacuee, Keegan Radomski, said she fled quickly and does not yet know if her family home survived.

Police said an 80-year-old woman died while attempting to escape the wildfire. The Bald Range fire is one of more than 100 burning in British Columbia, with many having started in the last week. The region has been dealing with severe drought, and the BBC noted that low water levels and dry conditions have increased fire risk. More broadly, the report placed the disaster in the context of a difficult wildfire season in western North America and parts of Europe.