Wildfire flames surround Canada’s Kelowna

STORY: An eyewitness video obtained by Reuters showed people standing at a waterfront area in the city, looking on at the dramatic scene in the distance as the night sky bathed in orange light from the flames. Other footage taken in the day on Thursday and Friday (August 18) showed thick smoke blanketing the sky in the city with a population of about 150,000.

A state of emergency was declared early on Friday in and around Kelowna, with officials saying the next 24 to 48 hours could be the most difficult. The airspace was closed to clear the way for water bombers. Wildfires that had been burning since Tuesday (August 15) spread from Lake Okanagan into parts of Kelowna, triggering evacuation orders for more than 2,400 properties, authorities said.

The expanse of fires and disruption to life and land underscores the severity of this year’s worst-on-record Canadian wildfire season, with more than 1,000 active fires burning across the country.