British Columbia declares state of emergency amid ‘devastating’ wildfires in Canada

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency as "devastating" wildfires burn through swathes of the western province, forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

Provincial officials decided late Friday to declare a state of emergency in Kelowna, a city of some 150,000 residents, as well as in nearby West Kelowna, where an approaching fire burned houses and forests.

“We are facing the worst wildfire season in our province’s history,” British Columbia’s Premier David Eby said at a news conference. “In just the last 24 hours, the situation has evolved and deteriorated quite rapidly.”

“If you get an evacuation order, please leave,” he said. “The situation is unpredictable right now, and there are certainly difficult days ahead.”

Emergency services warned that wind might “worsen wildfire conditions and possible new fire starts”.

At least 15,000 people have been ordered to evacuate till now, according to the provincial emergency management minister, Bowinn Ma. He warned that some 20,000 more people were under evacuation alert — asked to be ready to go if told to leave.

In the meantime, officials asked people to avoid nonessential traveling to affected areas in part to ensure that roads are clear for firefighters and first responders.

Elsewhere, the wildfire that raged through Lahaina in west Maui, Hawaii killed at least 111 people in a death toll that is still mounting.

More than 2,200 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed in last week's devastating wildfire.

Meantime, search crews continue to find victims as the search for the missing is moving beyond the devastated town of Lahaina to other communities that were destroyed.

Brig. Gen. Stephen Logan of Hawaii's Army National Guard is leading the Pentagon's efforts on the ground.

At a press briefing on Friday, Logan said six forensic anthropologists with the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency are assisting in gathering and identifying human remains.

"We currently have a fatality search and rescue team out of our own Hawaii Air National Guard that's been on the ground since we were able to establish operations here," Logan said.

"So this would augment their efforts that are that are currently ongoing," he said.

Those remains will be taken to the local county morgue. Logan said at this time there are no plans to take any remains to DPAA’s lab on Oahu for identification

Once the remains of all wildfire victims have been recovered, Logan said, Lahaina and other impacted communities will need to be rendered safe, with hazardous materials recovered and removed.

After that, families will be able to return to their properties to collect belongings that are salvageable or have sentimental value.

The cause of the wildfires is under investigation.

But Hawaii is increasingly at risk from disasters, with wildfire rising fastest, according to an AP analysis of FEMA records.

Last week's disaster on Maui is the deadliest wildfire in the US in more than 100 years.

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