British Columbia under province-wide state of emergency due to "unprecedented" wildfires: Officials

The province of British Columbia is currently facing an unprecedented wildfire crisis, leading to a province-wide state of emergency declaration by Premier David Eby. Evacuation orders for around 15,000 homes have been issued, a significant increase from the earlier count of 4,000 houses. The severity of the situation prompted this swift response to ensure quick access to necessary resources and tools.

More than 380 wildfires have been raging across western Canada territories since the start of the week, posing immense challenges to firefighting efforts. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre has described this period as the most difficult of the summer. Two major wildfires, the Stein Mountain wildfire discovered on July 12, and the McDougall Creek wildfire found on Tuesday, have burned a combined area of 18,000 acres. Both fires are classified as "out of control."

Cliff Chapman, the director of wildfire operations in British Columbia, anticipates further fire outbreaks due to unfavorable conditions. Strong winds in the region have been exacerbating the fire's spread, leading to evacuation orders and alerts being issued for several towns and cities. Kelowna, with a population of over 144,000, declared a local state of emergency, with additional evacuation orders issued for other areas.

The Northwest Territories, including Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, N'dilo, Dettah, and the Ingraham Trail, have also been severely affected, prompting evacuations. Chapman emphasized that 28 out of 34 water basins in British Columbia are currently facing drought conditions, impacting firefighting efforts.

Canada has been grappling with an alarming increase in wildfires on both its coasts this summer, releasing dense smoke that has even reached the United States. The fires have scorched over 34 million acres this season, surpassing the previous record and marking the worst wildfire season in history. David Phillips, a senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, attributed the severity of this year's fires to prolonged periods of extreme heat and dryness, aggravated by climate change.

Phillips underscored the undeniable influence of climate change in escalating the size and intensity of these fires, stating that nature alone couldn't account for the magnitude of the disaster. The ongoing drought conditions in various regions have further heightened the crisis.

Contributions to this report were made by ABC News' Will Gretsky, Daniel Peck, and Daniel Manzo.