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Mainstream BBC Environment 22 hours ago

'We've had a lot of close calls': Canada wildfire evacuees wonder if they still have homes

This video can not be played "That fire came so fast": Wildfire rages in British Columbia Earl Kurz and his wife have lived in Peachland, a town overlooking Okanagan Lake in Canada's British Columbia, for 30 years. In the last 10, he said he has grown used to wildfires threatening his community. One woman, aged 80, died while trying to flee from the wildfire, police said on Sunday. With dry lightning, high temperatures and winds in the forecast, officials warned on Monday that the fire continues to be a threat and that new ignitions are possible. The Okanagan area of British Columbia, known for its world renowned vineyards and picturesque scenery, has been grappling with extreme drought in recent years. As of July, the level of the Okanagan Lake was at its lowest since 1992, according to the Okanagan Basin Water Board. The Bald Range wildfire is one of more than 100 burning in British Columbia as of Monday - 70 of which started in the last week alone. The west coast province's premier, David Eby, declared a state of emergency over the weekend, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and warning that the fires continue to move "incredibly quickly". Keegan Radomski's home, photographed here before the fire, was built 1996. Keegan Radomski is one of thousands who have had to flee their homes in Summerland, a town on the Okanagan Lake just south of Peachland. The 18-year-old told the BBC she barely escaped with her mother's ashes before she saw the fire breach her property. "We've had a lot of close calls before, but it's never been like this," Radomski said. "You always think it's not going to be you, and then it's you." The home she fled was built 30 years ago, she said. Living in the Okanagan for decades meant that Radomski and her family are familiar with wildfires and evacuation notices, but they were still caught off guard . The family noticed wildfire smoke from the distance while eating dinner on Friday evening. Less than four hours later, Radomski said she was scrambling to get everyone out as she saw a hill on her property begin to burn. She added she is still unsure if her family's home survived, and when she can return and check for herself. Radomski says she is unsure of when she is able to return to her property and assess the damage Doug Holmes, the mayor of Summerland, told CBC News on Monday that some people's homes have been lost, but "we don't know how many". "I think we need to prepare for the fact that everybody is going to know somebody that has lost a home," Holmes said.

Original story by BBC Environment View original source

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