Emergency Services

Emergency officials estimate about 150 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Bald Range wildfire in Summerland and surrounding rural areas.

The operators of a Summerland wildlife rehabilitation centre destroyed by the Bald Range wildfire hope to rebuild by next spring after safely evacuating the animals in their care.

Summerland wineries and fruit growers are assessing potential crop losses after a fast-moving wildfire forced evacuations at the height of harvest season.

Premier David Eby said B.C. may need to rethink how it protects communities from increasingly intense and unpredictable wildfires.

Premier David Eby is scheduled to hold a media availability Wednesday afternoon in Penticton with local officials as wildfire response efforts remain active across the Okanagan.

The Bald Range wildfire has grown to 18,450 hectares as crews work to strengthen containment lines and prepare for thunderstorms that could increase fire activity, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Frustration is growing among Summerland evacuees who want to know when they can return home, but emergency officials said Tuesday the volatility of the Bald Range wildfire makes it impossible to give them a firm timeline.

Wildfire officials said crews are working around the clock at the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland to try to control the blaze and allow people to safely return home.

The chief of the Penticton Indian Band is urging the provincial and federal governments to prioritize wildfire preparedness to help protect communities across B.C., including those in the Okanagan threatened by increasingly large fires.

Some residents displaced by the Bald Range wildfire are being granted temporary access to Summerland for critical purposes as emergency officials plan for a staged return to the community.