A fast-moving wildfire forces more than 20,000 people to evacuate in western Canada

Published August 8, 2026 3:27pm ET | Updated August 8, 2026 3:27pm ET



VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — More than 20,000 people were ordered to leave their homes overnight in western Canada as a fast-moving wildfire grew rapidly and raced toward towns along British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake, destroying homes in its path.

The entire community of Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, was ordered evacuated, along with about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland. Officials had not determined how many homes were destroyed.

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