More than 5,000 people evacuated as Okanagan Lake wildfires grow

The fast approaching flames of the Bradley Creek wildfire forced thousands to leave their homes in a matter of hours.Many now wondering if their homes will still be there when they eventually return.Rajan Simpson is hoping the home she built with her late husband has survived.

There's so much smoke I can't tell if my house has been missed or if it's gone.It's the not knowing that is so scary.

Simpson is among more than 5000 people in BC who've been evacuated from their homes in the last 24 hours, say officials, most of them forced out by the explosive Bradley Creek wildfire on the north end of Okanagan Lake.

We saw winds that were sustained 85 kilometers an hour as that fire pushed down slope.Unfortunately, towards the structures and the communities that are adjacent and on Okanogan Lake.

So that fire more than doubled in size since Saturday and now evacuees are spending their time waiting at evacuation centers like this where they're getting supports for housing, food and water.

Many left with just minutes to spare.By the time we got home, it was like 15 minutes.We have to leave.I mean, I didn't even all I did was.take a couple of filing cabinets and put them in a garbage bag and my passport.

So that's it.And then the wind kicked in and everything changed.That whole mountain was engulfed in no time.And then houses, propane tanks were assuming started exploding.The explosions were so loud and it was terrifying.

These best friends of 40 years are also neighbors now facing uncertainty together.For many here, evacuations also mean long waits and feelings of frustration.

This is the third time we've been evacuated.First two times are awesome.This one, you need to have an app.You need to do this.It's unbelievable.really, what the hoops you have to jump through.

Friends and families and neighbors here are sticking together.But the fire that brought them here is still burning out of control, now covering 26 square kilometers.About 30 kilometers south along the lakeside is the Quill Pit Creek Fire, which is also triggered hundreds of evacuations.

We are seeing fuel conditions that we have never seen before.We are seeing fire behavior and fire growth that we have never experienced in BC up until this point because of the drought condition.

Fire crews say winds have calmed, but bone dry conditions remain a challenge.As evacuees begin to process the damage, they still have no idea when they'll be able to return home.Vaneet Brajch, CBC News, Vernon.