Evacuados por incendios forestales en Canadá aguardan conocer el estado de sus hogares

"That fire came so fast": Wildfire rages in British Columbia

Earl Kurz and his wife have lived in Peachland, a town overlooking Okanagan Lake in Canada's British Columbia, for 30 years. In the last 10, he said he has grown used to wildfires threatening his community.

But this is the first time he's been forced to flee, and surveying the damage left behind by the Bald Range wildfire, which broke out on Friday and grew in a matter of hours to 53 sq miles (136 sq km) in size, has been difficult.

"It's total incinerated destruction, " Kurz said. "The hot spots are just barren areas of nothing except 12 inches of ash. "

Officials in British Columbia are still trying to determine how many homes were lost to the fire, which remains out of control as of Monday.

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More than 12,000 residents in the area are still under an evacuation order.

One woman, aged 80, died while trying to flee from the wildfire, police said on Sunday.

With dry lightning, high temperatures and winds in the forecast, officials warned on Monday that the fire continues to be a threat and that new ignitions are possible.

The Okanagan area of British Columbia, known for its world renowned vineyards and picturesque scenery, has been grappling with extreme drought in recent years. As of July, the level of the Okanagan Lake was at its lowest since 1992, according to the Okanagan Basin Water Board.

The Bald Range wildfire is one of more than 100 burning in British Columbia as of Monday - 70 of which started in the last week alone.

The west coast province's premier, David Eby, declared a state of emergency over the weekend, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and warning that the fires continue to move "incredibly quickly".