REUTERS/Pat Kane Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies City of Yellowknife FollowKELOWNA, British Columbia, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of British Columbia residents were on high evacuation alert on Saturday after rapidly intensifying wildfires forced the western Canadian province to declare a state of emergency. By Friday, an out-of-control fire in southern British Columbia grew more than hundredfold in 24 hours and forced more than 2,400 properties to be evacuated. "This is an historic wildfire season for British Columbia," Eby told a briefing. "The state of emergency declaration ... communicates to people across the province the seriousness of the deteriorating situation," Eby said. The escalation in British Columbia comes as the northern Canadian city of Yellowknife evacuated most of its roughly 20,000 residents due to a large approaching blaze.

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Persons: Pat Kane, Daniel Eby, Eby, Ismail Shakil, Denny Thomas, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Thomson Locations: Yellowknife, Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Canada, City, KELOWNA , British Columbia, British Columbia, Canadian, Kelowna, Vancouver, British, West Kelowna, New York, Northwest, Ottawa