Global National: Aug. 9, 2026 | Evacuation zone expands as BC wildfires display extreme behaviour

This Sunday night, fighting BC's explosive wildfire.The Bald Ridge fire forces tens of thousands to evacuate and is showing no signs of slowing.

At that time, there was backyards that were on fire.

It was fearful.I mean, now it's real.

The residents and animals feared trapped and how the federal government is pledging to help.Peace plan upended.Why Israel's prime minister says he's rejecting President Trump's plan for Gaza.Plus, a brewing controversy over British pubs.

It's destroying the atmosphere.

People go out to drink and they get horizontal rather than vertical.Why officials want patrons to take a seat.

Good evening and thank you for joining us.

We begin with the wildfires raging in BC's interior that have forced more than 20 ,000 people from their homes.BC's wildfire service says the Bald Range fire near Summerland is displaying extreme fire behavior.and shifting winds could fuel the flames.The RCMP are now working to confirm at least one reported death, and the province, which remains under a state of emergency, says there has been significant structural loss.The federal government is now stepping in to provide shelter and accommodations, and the evacuation zone is expanding.Thousands forced to flee are pouring into the city of Penticton, many unsure if they'll have a home to return to.

Our Sarah McDonald is in that small community that's now hosting a large number of evacuees.Sarah.

And there isn't enough space for them, Jeff.Parking lots across Penticton look a lot like this one behind me tonight, filled with people forced from their homes and into their vehicles.Outside Summerland, the community of Falder, as it once was, is no longer.I don't want to say goodbye to it all.A magnitude of destruction many have been bracing for in parts of the province's Okanagan region.More than 20 ,000 people forced to leave the fate of their homes and livelihoods to the whim of unrelenting wildfire overnight on Friday.

When we finally left Summerland it was about 2 a .

m.Many still have nowhere to go.

This is the first time anything like this has happened to me.All right, so it's just absolutely surreal.

With the Bald Range wildfire exploding in size to more than 136 square kilometers as of Sunday, a footprint larger than the city of Vancouver.Nearby Penticton is absorbing not just smoke and ash, but the bulk of British Columbians suddenly homeless, at least for now.

Well, we were actually thinking, where the hell do we go now?

Evacuees like these neighbors all in their 80s.We slept in the parking lot.Who grabbed what they could and got out together.

The news is so crucial.for us, because we don't know anything till we turn on the telly minute by minute.Where are we going?Because people are confused.This is huge and frightening.

As the province now sits under a state of emergency, waiting for word on those still behind the fire lines.One thing is certain, some will not be returning home.

This is disastrous.It really is.And the impacts now, there's so many people.

And with no relief expected anytime soon from the heat and humidity stoking the flames.

So many people have lost their homes, their livelihood, like something should have been done.

The pavement of parking lots, a far cry from home for too many people like Tom.I wrote my house off.Seeking refuge in places that can't provide it.

So I don't know where I'm gonna go now.

And some here have been told it could be up until a week until they receive proper accommodation.With thefederal government announcing today, Jeff, new funding to assist the province in housing evacuees.

Sarah McDonald in Penticton, B .C.tonight.Thank you, Sarah.Those fire crews battling the flames aren't receiving much help from Mother Nature.Hot, dry conditions and high winds are hampering their efforts.

Global News meteorologist Yvonne Schell joins us now with more on what to expect, Yvonne.

JEFF, WE CAN EXPECT HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE OKANAGAN.NO SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE AND WE'RE LOOKING AT POOR AIR QUALITY WITH WIDESPREAD SMOKE.A FEW PHOTOS TO SHARE THAT WERE CAPTURED LAST NIGHT.THIS ONE TAKEN IN PEACHLAND BY AL.ANOTHER SHOT FROM INDIAN ROCK.THIS ONE WAS CAPTURED BY KELLY OVERLOOKING THE WATER.

AND FROM GOATS PEAK THIS ONE WAS CAPTURED BY CASS.NOW, WE ARE GOING TO SEE PRECIPITATION FOR THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER CENTRAL HALF OF THE PROVINCE.A FEW AREAS EXTENDING IN TOWARDS THE THOMPSON REGION.BUT NO SIGNIFICANT RAIN WILL BE in the forecast across the Okanagan to help those fires.The big concerns will be hot and very dry conditions.Highs will be closer to 30 degrees.

Smoke, so we're still looking at poor air quality.Erratic winds now.The fire behavior may shift rapidly.Also with these intense fires, they could produce pyrocumulus clouds, and within them, they can produce strong winds and thunderstorms.So that'll be the concern in the coming days, especially over the next 24 and up to 48 hours.Temperatures tomorrow soaring once again up to 30 degrees.

We're hoping for a brief reprieve on Wednesday as we dip down into the low 20s.We're still seeing that smoke.Here's a shot that's taken from NASA.There's Kelowna on the map, but it's still widespread.And the smoke forecast for tomorrow will continue to be poor with limited visibility.And the following areas, air quality advisories or warnings, rather, will still remain in effect over the next 24 and up to 48 hours.

And our fire danger rating for the southern interior across the Okanogan, still sitting at high.Areas in red sitting at extreme.

meteorologist, Yvonne.Schell.Thanks, Yvonne.A woman in Florida was desperately trying to locate and contact her parents, who live in a senior's long -term village in Summerland.And she received a major assist from their dog's Apple AirTag.It turned out Helen Gonzalez's parents had been evacuated safely.

Gonzalez was able to use their dog's AirTag.The device tracks location using Bluetooth and crowdsourcing technology.And the AirTag signal showed that the couple had been moved to the Penticton Trade and Convention Center.Facebook groups to ask the community if her parents had been spotted and eventually someone found the couple with their dog and put them in contact with Gonzalez.

He was just kind of telling me what was going on, that he was okay to stay home, not come.And I was trying to ask him questions, but he couldn't hear me.But this woman, Kathy, was translating and helping, because he could hear her okay, he just couldn't hear me on the phone.So that was really helpful.And I talked to my mom briefly, and she said, this is not a good time, this is not a good time, we can't talk, we have a lot happening here.And I said, I know, I know what's going on.

And I said, I just want to see if you're okay.And she said yes.

Gonzalez says she plans to reunite with her parents once the situation is under control.Turning to extreme weather overseas now.Typhoon Dolphin has now made landfall on China's east coast.Take a look at this torrential rain and strong winds of more than 150 kilometers per hour.Hundreds of thousands of people have evacuated across eastern China and more than 1 ,300 flights have been canceled.Some areas are expecting up to 400 millimeters of rain over the next few days.

Authorities warning there's a risk of severe flooding and flooding.landslides.Israel is now rejecting the U .S.president's peace plan for Gaza.That 15 -point plan, which was proposed in July, would have seen Hamas disarm and Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip, allowing international efforts to begin rebuilding the region.

Mackenzie Gray reports on the Israeli prime minister's rare rebuke of the U .

S.president.It was billed as another breakthrough in the Gaza war, Hamas and other armed groups agreeing to, quote, complete disarmament with U .S.President Donald Trump.But it's a deal the Israeli prime minister said Sunday they rejected, with Benjamin Netanyahu promising the Israeli defense force won't withdraw from Gaza until Hamas gives up all weapons entirely.

Hamas had said handing over heavy weapons was contingent on Israel stopping all hostilities and the establishment of a Palestinian state.Netanyahu's latest response?As long as I'm prime minister, a Palestinian state will not be established.Despite a ceasefire last October, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza with Israel's top soldier meeting with troops just last week.

Netanyahu's disagreement, a break with his close ally in Trump, who had said Israel was on side.

Netanyahu had quickly fired back on the 15 -point peace plan put forward by Trump's Board of Peace, an organization that Canada and most Western countries are not a member of.Despite the group being viewed by many observers as a potential rival to the United Nations, the secretary -general had praised Trump's deal.

The only good news in recent days is the announcement by the U .S.president of an agreement for Hamas to relinquish their weapons and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza.

The response in Gaza disappointedas millions are still displaced and continue to face humanitarian catastrophe, according to the United Nations.He doesn't care about peace, this man says.Netanyahu doesn't care about the people, he doesn't care about anything.The most important thing is that he wins elections.Those Israeli elections coming in October.

Netanyahu under significant pressure from right -wing coalition members to take a hard line on Gaza, which makes finding an agreement even more challenging.Mackenzie Gray, Global News, Ottawa.

The U .S.president is responding after Iran issued a long list of new demands for reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz.Donald Trump now says his administration is only semi -negotiating with Iran and claims the regime has run out of money.Candace Cole reports from Washington.

We are low -keying it.That's what U .S.President Donald Trump reportedly told Axios Sunday regarding the state of play with Iran, opting to levy more economic pressure against the Islamic Republic over another military campaign.This coming after Iran issued a new set of demands for opening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes.The list of conditions includes compensation to Iran for the attacks it endured from the U .

S.and the U .S.ending its naval blockade of Iranian ports, among others.Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi maintained that Iran is not currently negotiating with the U .S.

Rather, quote, Arachi did say that negotiations with Oman are in the final stages, which are based around establishing new shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, which he says haven't been updated since 1968.He also reiterated this does not mean a reopening of the strait, doubling down that the U .S.would have to cease violating the law.of Understanding agreed to back in June and meet Iran's terms. We've

We've destroyed their nuclear program.

But on Fox News Saturday, Vice President J .D.Vance said the U .S.is taking a wait -and -see approach.

And right now, we're trying to see if they're willing to make the kind of long -term changes that would be necessary to have a better relationship with the United States.And if not, that's fine, too.We're just going to keep on applying the pressure that we can apply and getting as much oil and gas out of the Middle East so that Americans can enjoy lower gas and energy prices.

Gas prices in the U .S.have dropped an average of 8 cents, but remain above $4, adding to the rising pressure for the administration to find an off -ramp in the conflict.

Candace Cole, Global News, Washington.Russia and Ukraine exchanged more strikes overnight, reportedly killing and injuring civilians on both sides.Two people were killed in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv when a Russian missile hit an apartment building.Dozens of missiles and drones also struck southern Odessa, injuring eight people.And in Russia's Belgorod region, five people died and two others were injured in Ukrainian drone strikes.In his weekly Angelus prayer, the Pope appealed to both countries to stop attacking civilians.

A porter flight is canceled after a young child refused to wear their seatbelt.Coming up, why the airline says all passengers were required to disembark.A Porter Airlines flight was grounded after one of its passengers refused to wear their seatbelt.The plane, bound for Toronto, had left the gate in Victoria Thursday night when crew noticed a young child standing in their seat.The airline says the child refused to secure their seatbelt despite attempts by their parent and cabin crew.The resulting delay pushed the flight past the airport's 12 .30 a .

m.runway closure, which meant the flight had to be canceled.PassengersPassengers were rebooked on another flight the next day.And a popular produce item has also been grounded.The U .

S.is banning imports of avocados from Mexico.The move is believed to be connected to concerns around organized crime and the safety of American agricultural inspectors who work there.As Jackson Prosko reports, Mexican officials have now deployed the military to secure the billion -dollar crop.

In a show of force, Mexico deployed more than 1 ,500 troops to the western state of Michoacan to secure one of the country's most famous exports, avocados.We are implementing a major plan to further strengthen security in areas where the National Guard previously had a more limited presence, said President Claudia Sheinbaum.This week, the U .S.government suspended all operations in Mexico's key avocado -producing region, citing what it called a threat to U .S.

interests.That, in turn, shut down American agricultural inspections for pests, meaning the fruit cannot be exported to the United States.Seventy to 80 percent of production is sent to the United States, explains this producer.The economic damage this activity will suffer is significant, he says.Increasingly, the multi -billion dollar avocado industry has been the target of organized crime and Mexico's infamous cartels.Last week, authorities arrested the alleged mastermind behind the 2025 assassination of a local mayor, carried out by a criminal cell financed with money extorted from avocado farmers.

Two years ago, the U .S.suspended avocado imports after two American inspectors were kidnapped.This time, the threat is unspecified.We have been informed these are preventative actions taken by the U .S.

government to safeguard its employees, explained the statement.governor. MexicoMexico remains gripped by cartel activity.In February, violence erupted across the country after police killed a senior leader.As the costs mount, Mexican authorities face domestic and international pressure to crack down, with the U .S.

designating four cartels operating in the Key Avocado farming region as terrorist organizations.Jackson Prosko, Global News, Washington.

Preparing for extreme weather.Still ahead, how First Nations communities are building resilience against fire, flood and drought.Well, it's been a summer of extreme weather across much of this country and one indigenous -led non -profit is now helping First Nations to prepare for the worst.As Melissa Ridgen reports, communities are combining new technology with traditional knowledge to reduce the risks.

Water is what routes Sandy Bay Ojibwe Nation to this land on the shore of Lake Manitoba.The ebbs and flows of the lake and connected marshes have been understood for generations.But human -caused climate change has upset the balance, says Elder Wendy Musso.

The storms are more intense because of the imbalance.See, there's fire and water right now raging across everywhere.Fire and water.So we've got to get to know those elements in order to get that balance back.

Mousseau is part of a team of elders here sharing their knowledge to help create a water resiliency master plan with the help of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, a non -profit group helping communities across Canada manage surface water, drainage and the environment.to build resilience against fire, flood, and droughts.

But we're incorporating the Western science and the Indigenous knowledge from Sandy Bay.

The plan reinforces nature's infrastructure and communities with the belief that land is memory, water is sacred, and all living things are connected.Many of those connections have been disrupted.

One minute we'll have a severe flood, and then the next minute we don't have any water at all.So it's like, how do we change that?How do we make ourselves more resilient to these types of occurrences?If we're not resilient, then we're going to be subject to those events and we'll be reactive rather than proactive.

A series of retention ponds like this will direct water to where it's needed and away from where it's not.Dotted through this sprawling community, these ponds will be used to attack wildfires that move faster and hotter than elders remember.

when we pay attention.

As wildfires ravage many parts of the world this summer, while others battle flooding, elders here hope to see other communities follow their lead, taking a whole part approach to preparing for the worst.Melissa Ridgen, Global News, Sandy Bay, Ojibwe Nation, Manitoba.

Standing up for London's pub culture.Up next, why authorities want thirsty Brits to stay seated.Welcome back.As anyone who's visited London, England can attest, the Brits are proud of their pub culture, and that includes enjoying a pint while standing and minglingwith friends and strangers.But authorities in one of the city's most popular neighborhoods are now proposing that new pubs and bars offer table service only.

As Redmond Shannon reports, the idea is proving tough to swallow.

London's West End and Soho, a hub of theatre, food and nightlife, where standing around for a pint and a chat remain a tradition, be it at the bar or even outside the bar.Now the local authority in charge of this part of London is looking at restricting pubs to table service only.This thirsty throng think vertical drinking needs to be protected.

It's a horrible idea.It's the best thing to do in London.Yeah, we've just moved back from Australia, both of us.And we don't do this in Australia.

This is what we're excited to do.If you're sitting down, it's kind of just like, It's destroying the atmosphere.

Even Frenchman Jean -Paul embraces packed pubs over cafe culture.

If you're sitting down in a restaurant, it's a less formal, it's a more formal setting, therefore less fluid interactions.

One local residents and business owners group has complained about the impact of so many bars.The consultation document from Westminster Council says table service could be one measure to discourage excessive drunkenness.

I'd like to see the evidence that says that people drink less when they're sitting but I completely disagree.

Well it's somewhat of a ludicrous policy.The UK pub industry says about Two pubs are closing down every day in Britain.

For us, it's just another erosion point that we're concerned about and we need to sort of push back at some point.

Any changes would likely only affect new pubs.So for now at least, drinkers here can have a go.laugh it off.

Where I come from, in Glasgow, people go out to drink and they get horizontal rather than vertical.

Redmond Shannon, Global News, London.

Cheers to that.That is Global National for this Sunday night.I'm Jeff Simple.And tonight's Your Canada is the Alberta Indigenous Games, which are underway right now in the Edmonton area.More than 7 ,000 young athletes are taking part in traditional sports alongside various cultural activities, which will continue through the week.Thanks for watching.

Donna will be back tomorrow.Have a great night.