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‘The whole side of the mountain was glowing red embers’

A photo gallery of the wildfires raging in Kelowna, B.C.

With two raging wildfires spreading over 550 hectares in West Kelowna, B.C., the city’s mayor, Doug Findlater, declared a state of emergency, prompting government agencies to kick their emergency preparedness plans into high gear. So far, some 11,000 residents have been told to leave their homes, with another 6,000 on evacuation alert. At least three homes have been consumed in the fires. One evacuee, who fled with his wife and daughter, said he “grabbed our pictures, our house insurance papers, found the cat and pretty much dumped as much as we could in the truck.” Another said “the whole side of the mountain was glowing red embers.” Fire officials confirmed that a third fire at Terrace Mountain, west of Okanagan Lake, was human-caused. Though it hasn’t threatened any homes, the fire at Terrace Mountain has already spread to 850 hectares. Meanwhile, police have stepped up their presence in the evacuated areas to prevent looters from taking advantage of the situation. (Source: Vancouver Sun)

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