Fire danger continued in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada over the weekend, posing challenging conditions for crews battling to keep destructive blazes from spreading across the region with at least four fire-related deaths reported.

More than 20,000 people were ordered to leave their homes overnight in western Canada as a fast-moving wildfire grew rapidly and raced toward towns along British Columbia's Okanagan Lake, destroying homes in its path.

More than 12,000 people have been forced to evacuate over the weekend after a wildfire quickly tore through Canada's picturesque Okanagan region.

An 80-year-old woman died while leaving her home trying to escape a massive wildfire in Canada's British Columbia province, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said late yesterday.

The Bald Range fire, which started on Friday, has burned more than 23,000 acres near the Districts of Summerland and Peachland in British Columbia, officials said.

The Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia, still considered "out of control", has spread to more than 36 sq miles (95 sq km).

Canada's wildfire season took another troubling turn over the weekend, as hot, dry conditions helped spark new fires across the country and pushed the number of active wildfires close to 1,000.

With wildfires now widespread and frequent, some rural residents in Canada are learning how to fight the flames themselves and protect their own homes.

11 weekend fires in Canada send new round of smoke to blanket the US - Wildfire smoke originating in Canada blanketed huge swaths of the eastern U.S. in mid-July

The inferno that sent toxic smoke billowing toward the United States won't be the last. Officials are now battling both the wildfires and misinformation.

Canadian wildfires trigger mass evacuations and send smoke across the U.S., putting millions at risk from poor air quality.