The government of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency at the provincial level due to the growing number of aggressive wildfires threatening communities.

Prime Minister David Eby made this announcement at a press conference on Friday, after 24 challenging hours that saw wildfires spreading rapidly, leading to the issuance of thousands of new evacuation orders and alerts throughout the province.

Eby said, "We are declaring a regional state of emergency to ensure we have any tools we may need to respond to this situation."

Earlier in the day, the Minister of Emergency Management in British Columbia indicated that the state of emergency was unnecessary - although the Prime Minister revealed that there has been a "rapid deterioration" in wildfire conditions during the afternoon of Friday.

Eby added that the number of people evacuated across the province tripled to 15,000 within one hour. More than 23,000 other residents are on evacuation alert, meaning they must be ready to flee within a short notice.

Eby also urged citizens to closely monitor wildfire updates and comply with evacuation orders issued. Fire crews and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers had to re-enter evacuation areas overnight to pull people from their homes, even as massive fires increased at alarming rates nearby.

The government has also asked people to avoid traveling to areas affected by wildfires to keep roads clear for firefighters and other emergency responders.

The wildfire situation in the province has escalated since Thursday due to a combination of dry weather conditions, high winds, and dry lightning, leading to new blazes and causing significant growth in existing fires.