'Current situation grim', thousands ordered to flee as wildfires rage in Canada's British Columbia region

Officials in the Canadian province of British Columbia have implored tens of thousands of residents to heed warnings and evacuate from areas threatened by 'severe and fast-changing' wildfires, and urged 'irresponsible' wildfire tourists to stop flying drones in the area, The Guardian reported.

Around 30,000 people are under evacuation orders while another 36,000 were under alert to be ready to flee, according to Bowinn Ma, the province's minister of emergency management.

"We cannot stress strongly enough how critical it is to follow evacuation orders when they are issued," Ma said at an afternoon news conference.

Kelowna, a city of 150,000, was choked with thick smoke as it became the latest population center hit in a summer of dramatic wildfires across Canada that has left millions of acres scorched.

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