Emergency crews say they were called to a structure fire at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Saskatoon on Friday at about 10:30 p.m.

The fire department says they observed heavy smoke and large flames coming from the construction area attached to the school.

While multiple hose lines were spraying the area, fire command called for a second alarm.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS), the school board for the school, says it’s too early to determine how the fire will affect the start of the school year, adding that they will get a closer look to assess the damage once it’s safe to do so.

In an email to the school community, the principal said the new portable classrooms sustained significant damage and that there was water and smoke damage in other areas of the school.

School officials said they are waiting on details from fire crews before making any decisions about the upcoming school year.

GSCS says they are thankful for the quick response by fire and emergency crews.

A fire investigator is on scene to try to identify the cause and estimate the damage.

The fire department says further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Watch the video above to see the flames and the aftermath.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The fast-moving Bald Range wildfire near Summerland gave some residents little time to escape with what matters most, including pets and livestock.

A video has surfaced online that captures the dramatic moments when Faulder residents were trying to rescue their dogs from a vehicle that was surrounded by flames.

Jarrot Stolar told Global News that he didn’t know that the dramatic moments were caught on camera and said seeing the footage makes it hard to believe what they survived.

“By the time we got the dogs out, the side of the vehicle was covered in flames,” Stolar said.

“Fire was… I got little burns all over me, but we weren’t hurt or anything. We’re both okay, and maybe we breathed in some smoke. But it was definitely hot and crazy.”

Stolar said as they tried to get the dogs out, fleeing motorists screamed at them to leave.

“We were the last people evacuated with the firefighters,” he said.

“We both screamed a little bit when flames hit my window; it was pretty hot. Like we couldn’t even touch my window for a bit on my car. It was scary, but I’m not gonna lie. It was pretty terrifying and not knowing if my other animals were safe.”

Stolar said he is not sure if his home is still standing or how many have been lost to the aggressive wildfire.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Bald Range fire was mapped at more than 100 square kilometres on Saturday evening, just over 24 hours after it sparked near Summerland.

The BC Wildfire Service says it is one of the most challenging fires this province has ever faced, involving helicopter rescues of dozens of people trapped behind the fire line.

The province says tactical evacuations are still underway on Saturday, but it is unclear how many people may be stuck behind the fire lines.

On Friday night, at least 55 people were rescued by helicopter as the wildfire moved fast.

Thousands of properties are under an evacuation order on Saturday, including the entire district of Summerland and part of Peachland, while thousands more are under alert.

“I also want to stress that the conditions we face in B.C. right now, in particular in the southern third, are explosive,” Cliff Chapman with the BC Wildfire Service said.

“When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night. I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we have never seen before.”

B.C. Premier David Eby declared a provincial State of Emergency on Saturday.

“Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed,” Eby said.

“Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly and needed to be rescued. It remains a very dynamic and threatening situation. To everyone affected, you are not alone. British Columbians are with you. This new fire marks a significant shift in the overall fire situation in our province.”

The number of homes lost or properties destroyed may not be known for some time.

Summerland’s Mayor Doug Holmes told Global News that the Garnet Valley, Prairie Valley and Faulder areas were hit hard, but he said the downtown core is fine. However, the fire remains close.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

VANCOUVER – Nathan Rourke knows he wasn’t at his best.

After missing a pair of games with a left shoulder injury, the B.C. Lions quarterback admitted there were points during Saturday’s contest with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he “wasn’t trusting it.”

“I think that’s just part of coming back and missing some time, and just kind of getting back into the rhythm of things,” said the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player of 2025. “It’s different when there’s live bullets, right? So it’s just getting comfortable with that again, and I’m glad that we figured it out.”

Rourke passed for 370 yards in his return, and the Lions held on for a 27-24 victory over the Ticats.

The Canadian QB made good on 22 of his 39 attempts for B.C. (3-5), including touchdown passes to Zander Horvath and Justin McInnis.

Horvath also drove in a major and Sean Whyte scored on 2-of-3 field goal attempts, putting a 24-yard kick through the uprights with 28 seconds left on the game clock to seal the decision.

“I don’t think anyone on offence is going to claim that this is our best game, but it’s a team football game and other areas stepped up,” Rourke said.

The Ticats (3-6) got 239 passing yards from Harrison Frost, who completed 20 of 33 attempts, including a TD toss to Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and a third-quarter interception in the first start of his CFL career.

The 27-year-old American filled in for veteran QB Bo Levi Mitchell, who remains sidelined after having surgery for an ankle injury he picked up against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 5.

“I thought he was composed,” Tiger-Cats head coach Scott Milanovich said of Frost’s performance. “I thought he made good decisions, with one exception. There in the third quarter, we didn’t protect him very well. That was a function of that play, but that one happened to be a poor decision.”

The showing was enough to give Milanovich confidence in Frost moving forward.

“He’s the quarterback,” he said.

Playing his first game since July 17, Rourke started off strong on Saturday, steadily working the ball up the field on B.C.’s first possession. Stationed at Hamilton’s seven-yard line, he tossed a pass to Horvath, who spun out of a tackle and landed in the end zone to give the Lions an early lead.

The Ticats responded midway through the quarter with a drive that saw Frost sail a 34-yard pass to Kenny Lawler and Keric Wheatfall followed up, driving it into the five-yard line.

Hamilton was gifted more valuable yards when Lions defensive back Deontai Williams got called for unnecessary roughness, placing the ball on the one-yard line. Jake Dolegala leaped into a pile on the goal line and touched for the major.

The visitors pulled ahead early in the second, thanks in part to Isaiah Wooden Jr.’s 42-yard punt return. Frost capped the series with a touchdown pass to Gittens Jr. and Marc Liegghio’s convert gave the Ticats a 14-7 lead.

McInnis clawed back some crucial points for the Lions with just over two minutes left in the first half. Tangled up with defensive back Jamal Peters near the sideline, the Canadian receiver worked himself free in time to collect a long toss from Rourke and spring up the field unimpeded for a TD.

“I have a pretty good idea of Justin on that route and where he’s going to be. And we’ve ran that route I feel like 1,000 times and so I felt like his body language kind of picked up on where he was going to be,” Rourke said. “So I just tried to give him a chance and luckily we figured it out and made a play.”

Liegghio put a bow on the frame with a 47-yard field goal that gave Hamilton a 17-14 lead going into the locker rooms.

The Lions answered with a patient stretch midway through the third, getting the ball up to the one-yard line. Horvath collected the ensuing snap and jumped up and over a mound of bodies for his second touchdown of the game to give B.C. a 21-17 advantage.

Whyte tried to pad the lead with a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds of the frame but Mario Kendricks Jr. blocked the attempt.

The Lions got possession back on the next play when Darnell Sankey tipped Frost’s pass and Williams nabbed the loose ball for the interception. The defensive back made it 39 yards up the field before getting hauled down.

Whyte capitalized early in the fourth, booting a 33-yard field goal.

B.C.’s defence has been playing “extremely well,” said Lions head coach Buck Pierce.

“I think they’ve found an identity,” he said. “Offensive football up here, you’re going to have some of those explosive plays, and those things are going to happen. But collectively they stepped up when they needed to step up.”

Hamilton continued to push and tied the score once again midway through the final quarter after Frost spotted Myron Mitchell well up field and hit him with a long lob for a 46-yard gain. Dolegala followed up with a one-yard rush up the middle for his second TD of the game.

The Ticats tried to level the score once again after Whyte’s strike, but were held to the midfield and Liegghio’s 57-yard field goal attempt as the final seconds ticked down was no good.

The result saw the two sides split the season series after the Ticats took a 41-27 win in Hamilton on June 19.

UP NEXT

Tiger-Cats: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Lions: Visit the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

When the Bald Range wildfire sparked near Summerland on Friday afternoon, thousands of residents prepared to leave their homes.

However, the Summerland area is home to many farms with livestock and once the area was put on evacuation order, all those animals needed to get out.

One group, who has been responding to fires across the interior in the last week, rushed to help.

“We jumped in our trucks and come here, and we’ve been 24 hours now straight,” Kaz Nowlin told Global News.

He is part of a small group banding together to save as much livestock as possible in Summerland.

“When we figured it out this morning, we were at 52 horses, 25 goats, six sheep, couple dogs, some cats,” Nowlin added.

A couple in the Summerland horse riding community is also working around the clock, helping get animals out of the area.

“It’s everything. It’s not just horses; it’s been chickens, goats, it’s a wide variety, right, and people love their animals and we understand,” Chelsie Lesnoski told Global News.

Social media was flooded with posts calling for help locating animals set free as the flames closed in.

In some cases, the animal will come back to their home when the danger has passed.

“The second rescue that we did was the same thing,” Nowlin said.

“They had come back to their corral after everything was safe, and you know, horses are pretty smart. They’ll come back.”

The B.C. Livestock Producers Co-op has opened its Okanagan Falls stockyard to house cattle, with more space available in Kamloops.

They said the Co-op can help arrange transport.

“Getting into some of these areas that are being hit by the fires can be difficult just to pick up the cattle, even if the producers do get them gathered and corralled and ready to be loaded out,” Cordy Cox with the B.C. Livestock Producers Co-op said.

Cox said that while B.C.’s ranching and livestock industry is spread out, it is tight-knit.

“They back each other up and open their doors,” she said.

“So places, ranches that aren’t being hit, they open their pastures and their fields and their feedlots and any space that they have.”

With the fires still burning, Nowlin said he will keep answering calls for help.

“If you know that it’s going to come your way, just give somebody a call. We’ll come and get them,” he said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Southeast District RCMP said there may be a possible fatality from the massive Summerland wildfire that sparked around 5:15 p.m. on Friday.

In a release, RCMP said it had been made aware of one impacted resident from Meadow Valley who has reported a possible fatality.

“Hazardous conditions are present in the region and police along with the BC Coroners Service are investigating to confirm.  Officers are working closely with the impacted family.”

RCMP said officers continue to provide emergency response and assistance following the Bald Range fire that grew quickly and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Tactical evacuations were initiated immediately by Penticton and Summerland RCMP members along with additional supports from Kelowna and West Kelowna detachments, BC Highway Patrol, RCMP Federal Policing, Southeast District RCMP and CFSEU-BC Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team (UGET), RCMP said in a release.

They added that evacuations of entire neighbourhoods and communities were largely successful, but not without challenges to areas cut off by the wildfire.

RCMP is also urging residents not to call 911 for non-emergency situations and to use 911 for emergencies only.

Power and cell communications in the region are also intermittent due to the wildfires and motorists are urged to check with DriveBC before travelling on the roads and highways.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Bald Range fire near Summerland forced thousands of people to flee their homes on Friday night as the fast-moving wildfire grew rapidly.

Evacuations out of Summerland included a large population of senior citizens living in residential care.

Several health teams co-ordinated efforts to keep the residents safe from the wildfire and relocate them to appropriate care facilities.

David Hickey, a driver with the High Acuity Response Team, helped receive dozens of evacuees at Kaigo Senior Living Facility in Kelowna.

He told Global News that the group worked quickly to get a new wing ready and staffed to take on more people.

“It was a fast-moving situation, fast-moving fire,” he said.

“And again, I can’t imagine the situation they were in. And then once Highway 97 closed, they had to be rerouted all the way through Princeton back down through Osoyoos, that area and come back 33. For those familiar with that, that’s up by Big White and they had to come back in through the city.

“So I believe it was a four- or five-hour transport as opposed to a direct route coming from Summerland to Kelowna, which would have been less than 45 minutes.”

Hickey said most of the evacuees seemed in good spirits on Saturday morning when they had time to settle in.

“I think everybody was in shock just because of how quickly this happened,” he added.

“And you’re never fully prepared to be evacuated. You know, you’re either put on standby, or you’re told it could happen, but once it happens … you know, all bets are off and you just act.”

Interior Health said it was relocating 48 residents from the Dr. Andrew Pavilion in Summerland and working with its contracted partner Retirement Concepts to relocate 190 residents from Summerland Seniors Village.

Hickey said everyone came together to make sure the residents were safely moved out of the area.

“I saw people posting, if you’re not in the Okanagan right now and you plan on coming, probably stay away,” he said.

“I’ve talked to first responders and the bus drivers and the best thing you can do right now is just stay out of the way and let the people who need to do their jobs do it. That’s what I would say for anybody wondering what’s going on and stay safe.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A car bomb exploded Saturday in southwestern Colombia, the army said, a day after conservative political neophyte Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s new president.

The army alleged the attack was carried out by two dissident groups of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The groups did not accept the peace agreement that FARC signed a decade ago with the Colombian government.

The explosion took place at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway, the main road in the country’s southwest. The army said two security guards suffered minor injuries in the attack. One of the guards told authorities that the explosion was caused by a vehicle that had been abandoned by an individual who fled on a motorcycle.

The affected road connects the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, whose capital, Cali, hosted Friday’s swearing-in ceremony for de la Espriella. During his inaugural speech, he outlined his security policy and warned illegal groups that “they have two paths: submit to the rule of law or confront the security forces.”

The army on Saturday said on social media that soldiers were securing the area and using trained dogs to search for other explosive devices. Scattered around the toll plaza were parts of the vehicle, including the charred chassis.

The explosion woke up families who live in houses located a few yards (meters) from the crime scene. Elizabeth Zapata, 57, said she felt the blast wave “lift them out of bed” and the windows shattered. Her family members, who live with several children, “arrived with shards of glass embedded in their backs.”

Cauca Gov. Jorge Octavio Guzmán told reporters he believes the attacks are intended to isolate the department in order to maintain control over thousands of hectares.

“This is not an isolated incident; it is systematic,” he said.

Minister of Transportation Elsa Noguera condemned the attack and said work was underway to restore traffic in the area.

“Colombia will not kneel before violence, nor will it allow the destruction of the infrastructure that connects our regions,” she wrote on social media.

Dozens of prisoners sent to maximum security prisons

Also on Saturday, de la Espriella announced the transfer of 117 prisoners linked to the previous administration’s peace talks to eight maximum-security prisons. The measure, according to the country’s corrections agency, aims to “regain permanent control of the prisons” and “contain any capacity of criminal organizations” to coordinate illicit activities from within prisons. De la Espriella has rejected the dialogue with armed groups promoted by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro.

With no prior political experience, the 48-year-old de la Espriella, a lawyer and businessperson, narrowly defeated Iván Cepeda, a progressive senator and Petro ally, in a June runoff election in a polarized political climate.

His term begins with a robust opposition led by Petro, who refused to acknowledge his victory and insisted on alleged fraud despite the official declaration from the electoral authority and the positive assessment from international observers.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

MONTREAL – Davis Alexander knows the Montreal Alouettes sent a message to the rest of the CFL.

Just as he anticipated.

Alexander threw four touchdown passes and Tyson Philpot caught three as the Alouettes routed the Edmonton Elks 48-30 in a matchup between two of the league’s best Saturday.

“Probably a statement game for the rest of the league, but you know our standard,” Alexander said from a rowdy Alouettes dressing room. “We think our offence is the best and our defence is the best, so it’s expected.

“It’s a standard.”

Alexander completed 22 of 28 passes for 352 yards with one interception and also rushed for his first touchdown of the season, improving his record to 19-1 as a regular-season starter in front of a season-high 22,535 at Molson Stadium.

Philpot, the league’s receiving yards leader, added 131 yards as Montreal (8-1) extended its winning streak to six games.

Tyler Snead caught a touchdown pass and had 146 receiving yards, while Travis Theis rushed 100 yards for a high-octane offence that has scored at least 30 points in all but one game this season.

It’s an offence so good, Alexander likened it to playing a video game.

“I feel like we have free range to do almost whatever we want,” said the 27-year-old from Gig Harbor, Wash., with Future’s ‘Turn On the Lights’ blaring in the background. “We’re playing NFL Street, frickin’ do whatever you want, have fun, and we got the best players in the league.

“We’re rolling, we’re rocking, and we’ve got a long way to go.”

The dominance hardly stopped there.

Gemon Green and Tyrice Beverette forced turnovers on defence, while Kylan Guidry blocked a punt and DeVonte Dedmon provided several big returns on special teams.

Even Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo, who led the Alouettes to the Grey Cup in 2023, had to tip his cap after the gutting defeat.

“I think they sent a message to the league,” Fajardo said. “We’re one of the top teams in this league and they beat us in all three phases.

“That’s a good football team. All three phases, they beat us up pretty good and we got to be better.”

Defensive back Tyrell Ford had a pair of interceptions in one of the few bright spots for Edmonton (6-3), which also lost at home against the West Division-leading Saskatchewan Roughriders last week.

Fajardo, meanwhile, was smothered by his former team, throwing for 231 yards on 21-for-35 passing with two touchdowns and a pick on a humid, 28 C afternoon.

He couldn’t match Alexander’s output even after the Alouettes swapped out four starters on defence due to injury.

“It just sucks,” said Fajardo, who watched the end of the game from the sidelines. “You know me, I’m a competitor. I want to fight.

“With all the injuries they had on defence, they played a hell of a game,” he added. “They had a tremendous game plan and it made it difficult on us.”

The Elks dealt the Alouettes their only loss of the season with a 32-29 overtime victory in Edmonton on June 20. In the process, Fajardo handed Alexander, his former backup, his first regular-season loss in their first head-to-head matchup.

This one played out differently.

A tight game at halftime, the Alouettes blew it wide open with a pair of turnovers early in the third quarter.

Green stripped former Montreal receiver Austin Mack, leading to a 32-yard touchdown for Snead. Beverette then picked off Fajardo, and Maltos Diaz kicked a 38-yard field goal to give the Alouettes a 34-17 lead after three quarters.

Philpot’s third TD reception of the game with 5:55 left in the fourth quarter put an exclamation point on a dominant showing. Alexander launched a 54-yard bomb deep to his favourite target, drawing “Olé, Olé” chants from the crowd.

“Davis told me to get running and I just knew we were going for the throat,” Philpot said. “We played a great third quarter, so why not impose our will and step on them.”

The Alouettes started the game with a trick play that backfired when Snead took a handoff and threw deep to a covered Cole Spieker, leading to Ford’s first interception.

Snead redeemed himself by hauling in a 32-yard pass from Alexander after Guidry’s blocked punt. Alexander then scored himself, rushing 10 yards and diving into the end zone with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter.

Edmonton tied the game early in the second when Fajardo — after a 13-yard Alouettes face mask penalty — scored on a one-yard QB sneak.

Alexander then found Philpot alone on the edge of the end zone for a 14-7 advantage at 7:20 of the second quarter.

A couple of drives later, Ford caught his second interception, this time picking off Alexander after he threw across his body while scrambling. Ford returned the ball 30 yards to set up Fajardo’s six-yard TD toss to T.J. Luther.

The tied score was short-lived as Alexander and Philpot connected again on a nine-yard major to retake the lead with 1:51 remaining in the half.

And the Alouettes didn’t look back.

UP NEXT

Elks: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Aug. 15.

Alouettes: Host the Ottawa Redblacks on Aug. 20 after a bye week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Global News cameras captured the growth of the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland on Friday night.

The fire, which sparked around 5:30 p.m., grew so fast that homes were destroyed and the fast-moving flames trapped people.

“Through the night, first responders, wildfire crews, search and rescue teams, RCMP, local community members, government leaders, volunteers, and emergency officials worked tirelessly,” B.C. Premier David Eby said on Saturday.

“The stories that are starting to come out are heroic. Many people put themselves at risk to save others. We thank them for their courage and for their commitment. Right now our full focus is saving lives and supporting rescue efforts.”

The video above is not edited, nor sped up.

It shows how quickly the fire grew in only 45 seconds.

The Bald Range fire is now 10,340.7 hectares as of 3 p.m. on Saturday.

 

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.