Wildfires burning in British Columbia force 20,000 to evacuate

He checked on elders in his community who also stayed behind, and he fuelled up four boats down on the lake in case they needed a quick escape.

Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders across western Canada and the northwestern United States as major wildfires continue to burn, destroying homes, degrading air quality and forcing emergency officials to maintain broad public safety measures.

In western Canada, more than 20,000 people were forced to abandon communities along British Columbia's Okanagan Lake over the weekend.

A fast-moving wildfire swept through Canada's Bald Range, engulfing trees and sending flames racing across the landscape.