As wildfires worsen in the B.C. interior and numerous residents are forced to evacuate, the provincial government has declared a state of emergency.
By Friday (Aug. 18) afternoon, evacuation orders across B.C. spiked, affecting 15,000 homes up from 4,500 earlier in the day. Tens of thousands more British Columbians remain on evacuation alert.
The City of Vancouver is stepping up to help.
On Friday evening, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim shared on Twitter that the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services deployed two wildland apparatus and six firefighters to Kelowna that night.
"The City of Vancouver is proud to stand with the people of Kelowna," Sim says. "Thank you to all the heroes fighting to save homes and lives." .
A cold front swept high winds and dry lightning across the province overnight Thursday, increasing the spread of fire. There are currently 366 active fires burning across B.C.
With files from Stefan Labbé.
