Toronto  - Thousands of residents are fleeing several large wildfires in western Canada as the flames threaten their homes.

In the western province of British Colombia about 11,000 people were forced to leave their homes while another 6,000 were preparing for evacuation, CTV television reported Sunday night.

The fires, which was initially detected on Saturday, spread dramatically the next day, covering hundreds of hectares.

No casualties have been reported, but large areas are cut off from electricity and several homes have been destroyed.

Firefighters are working to contain the wildfires. Authorities have so far not commented on the cause of the fires. (dpa)