Nearly half of the 102 fires now burning in British Columbia are out of control – Image: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/AP Photo/picture alliance

Wildfires have grown in number and intensity across British Columbia, where a state of emergency has been declared. Evacuations are underway, but firefighters say almost half of BC’s 102 fires are out of control.

Wildfires raging in the western Canadian province of British Columbia gained momentum, growing significantly in both scale and intensity in a situation already declared a state of emergency on Saturday by British Columbia Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene.

By Sunday morning, the BC Wildfire Service reported 102 active blazes in the province (up from 70 on Saturday), nearly half of them out of control.

“Over the last 24 hours, extreme fire behavior was seen in southern BC due to the continuous hot and dry conditions,” the service said, adding that response efforts were being hampered by “elevated fire behavior coupled with severely poor visibility.”

The Bald Range fire — which exploded Saturday and enveloped the 12,000-resident Summerland area — had consumed nearly 10,341 hectares (25,552 acres) of land by early Sunday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Sunday that it was “investigating to confirm” a possible fatality.

Officials have yet to provide casualty or damage figures, nor have they published a list of missing persons.

British Columbia Premier David Eby, who warned of the dangerous and unpredictable nature of the blaze on Saturday, said, “air evacuations are underway for people who remain isolated behind the fire perimeter.”

“To everyone affected, you are not facing this alone,” said Eby in a statement, “the entire province is with you.”

Some 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate because of the fires – Image: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/AP Photo/picture alliance

Canadian media reported the airlifting of more than 50 people from the community of Faulder.

In all, more than 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate the area.

On Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took to X to thank firefighters and first responders for “working tirelessly to keep people safe.”

Carney also pledged solidarity, writing: “The federal government stands ready to help and support the government of British Columbia in these efforts. I’m keeping everyone forced from their homes in my thoughts and hoping they can return safely soon.”

INDONESIA: Mount Bromo wildfire grows, spurs park closure

Indonesian authorities have closed a popular national park until further notice. Strong winds and rough terrain are making it difficult for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

Strong winds and steep terrain have made it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze – Image: East Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency/AP Photo/picture alliance

Authorities in Indonesia closed the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java until further notice on Saturday due to a wildfire that has scorched some 176 hectares (435 acres) of land on Mount Bromo since it began on Monday.

The blaze, one of several currently burning across Indonesia, has mobilized hundreds of firefighters, park rangers, police, soldiers and volunteers at one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations.

The blaze has mobilized hundreds of firefighters, park rangers, police, soldiers and volunteers at one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations – Image: Muhammad Fajri/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO

What do we know about the wildfires situation in Indonesia?

Helicopters and drones are in use in the air and firebreaks are being created by crews on the ground.

Officials describe the situation as challenging, pointing to high winds and rough terrain, with many areas difficult to access on steep volcanic slopes.

“These conditions make air operations important to reach areas that cannot be accessed optimally by land,” one official said.

Dry conditions and winds are fueling the spread of the flames according to Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency.

Authorities say the fire was sparked during land clearing work.

Though fires — often illegally started by plantation owners and farmers to clear for planting — are common in the region, the current El Nino weather pattern and seasonal dry winds from Australia have combined to make this year especially prone to wildfire and drought.

Indonesia has lost more than 107,000 hectares of land to fire in the first half of 2026, over twice the area destroyed in wildfires in 2023, when the last El-Nino pattern started.

DW.com/NAN  10-08-26

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