Thousands of residents across California and western Canada have been forced to evacuate as massive uncontrolled wildfires destroyed homes, closed highways and shut down at least one airport. British Columbia has declared a state of emergency. This is Brish Columbia resident Chris Sonmor.

Chris Sonmor: “I woke up at about 1:30 in the afternoon, because I work nights, and woke up to a bunch of texts from my wife saying that Ashcroft was surrounded. So I went out on my patio, and the fire was on the mountainside right behind my house. And we just kind of watched it come down the mountain.”