The District of Lake Country declared a local state of emergency on Aug. 18, after four separate wildfires were reported in the area.

The McDougall Creek wildfire had exploded to 6,800 hectares in size, sending flying embers across Okanagan Lake on Aug. 17, sparking blazes in the Glenmore/McKinley Landing neighbourhood around 10 p.m.

The blazes were quickly marked on the BC Wildfire map in the Clarke Creek area near Tyndall Road.

These fires would be named the Clarke Creek wildfire.

The district along with the Regional District of the Central Okanagan began evacuations of hundreds of homes in Lake Country, as the blaze grew on Aug. 18.

A reception centre was set up at Beasley Community Centre, to help affected residents.

Highway 97 would become congested with traffic, as the roads filled with vehicles trying to escape from the region.

A witness would tell Black Press Media that they had a vantage point from their roof and could see that the fire was about to encroach on homes in the Chase, Crimson road area.

BC Wildfire was seen with helicopters bucketing water from Wood Lake.

The Clarke Creek wildfire would destroy three structures in Lake Country and grow to an estimated 372.6 hectares, before it was finally considered held on Aug. 24.