Wildfires burning across the western United States and Canada continued to threaten communities Sunday, leaving thousands of residents displaced and others watching closely for possible evacuation orders. While some evacuees waited anxiously to learn whether their homes had survived, firefighters worked to contain several major blazes across the region.
The Bald Range wildfire, that has forced people out of their homes in the south Okanagan region, burns in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, late on Aug.8, 2026. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via APIn western Canada, more than 20,000 people were forced to flee communities along Okanagan Lake in British Columbia over the weekend as a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and prompted dramatic aircraft rescues. Farther south, crews in eastern Washington continued cleanup and containment work on three wildfires that have burned in the Spokane area for more than a week.
Laurie Allen evacuated her home in Nine Mile Falls, a community north of Spokane, the previous weekend as flames burned nearby. She fled with her husband, dog and two kittens. Although roads into her neighborhood remained closed Sunday, Allen said a friend had told her that her home and several others nearby were still standing, though covered in ash.
"I've been here 65 years. It's never happened," Allen said. "We didn't think about anything but grabbing our animals and leaving. But now it's affected so many of our friends and family around. So it's pretty dang devastating."
More Than 20,000 Flee Wildfires in British Columbia
In Canada, residents across the Okanagan Lake region faced rapidly changing conditions as wildfires forced lar
