A resident sprays water on hot spots near a house in Celista, British Columbia, Canada, on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Record-breaking wildfires in Canada, which have already scorched an area larger than Greece, are heading toward key population centers, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Forest fires in Canada's western province of British Columbia intensified on Saturday, with the number of people under evacuation orders doubling from a day earlier, as authorities warned of difficult days ahead. The fire is centered around Kelowna, a city some 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Vancouver, with a population of about 150,000. Forest fires are not uncommon in Canada, but the spread of blazes and disruption underscore the severity of its worst wildfire season yet.

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Persons: Daniel Eby, Eby Organizations: British Columbia Locations: Celista, British Columbia, Canada, Greece, Canada's, British, Columbia, Kelowna, Vancouver, New York