Canadian police blocked Highway 97 in Penticton, British Columbia, directing people away from the Bald Range wildfire as smoke filled the air over Okanagan Lake.
Evacuees were being directed to the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre for sheltering.
British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday after thousands of people in the western Canadian province were ordered to flee a fast-moving wildfire that nearly doubled in size overnight.
The Bald Range wildfire was burning out of control and grew rapidly to about 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres), prompting evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland and other districts west of Okanagan Lake in the province's southern interior. The region produces most of B.C.'s wine and is Canada's second-largest wine-producing area.
Officials said the Bald Range wildfire triggered the largest evacuation event so far this summer and more than 20,000 people across B.C. have been forced to evacuate their homes.
Many residents left overnight, driving south to Penticton or north to Kelowna before highways began to close.
Also Residents were evacuated from their homes in Kruja, Albania, over the weekend as fire crews fought to stop a major wildfire from reaching the town.
More than 200 firefighters and dozens of vehicles were deployed to contain the blaze.
Their efforts were hampered by the steep terrain surrounding the town, which made access difficult and in many places impossible. However, the situation appeared to stabilise in the early hours of Sunday (August 9) after three helicopters joined the operation and began dropping water on the fire.
Police evacuated residents from part of the town as a precautionary measure, while some areas were left without electricity.
