Devastating wildfires continued to burn across the western United States and Canada this weekend, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and leaving many in a state of uncertainty about their return. In British Columbia, Canada, over 20,000 people were forced to flee communities along Okanagan Lake as a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and required numerous airborne rescues. Meanwhile, firefighting crews in Washington State have been battling three separate wildfires that started burning in the Spokane area over a week ago and are now near containment. Residents like Laurie Allen of Nine Mile Falls, north of Spokane, were forced to evacuate last weekend with their pets as a nearby wildfire approached. Although roads into her neighborhood remained closed on Sunday, she received word from a friend that while covered in ashes, her house and those of neighbors appeared intact. Anette Boulet was among the residents who fled Summerland, BC, along Okanagan Lake, as smoke shrouded their homes early Saturday morning. The Bald Range wildfire, first reported on Friday evening, has also led to the evacuation of about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland. British Columbia declared a state of emergency on Saturday. In response to the displacement of so many residents, Canada's Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski approved a request for federal assistance to provide shelter and accommodations. The wildfires have already destroyed or damaged about 920 structures in the Spokane area, with one man arrested and charged with intentionally setting the largest of the three fires. In the tiny rural town of Malden, south of Spokane, residents were urged to evacuate immediately on Saturday but were later downgraded to a state of readiness to leave quickly if necessary. The wind has been calm, allowing fire crews to make progress in containing the fires. However, the remote and rugged terrain has made it difficult for crews to reach some areas, such as the site where two helicopter pilots lost their lives fighting a wildfire in Utah's Fishlake National Forest on Friday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.