Emergency Services

The fight against the 15,590-hectare Bald Range wildfire is a “monumental task,” BC Wildfire Service incident commander Hugh Murdoch said during a Monday night emergency briefing, with crews facing a vast fireground and active fire behaviour around Summerland.

Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes is warning evacuated residents to brace themselves for what they may find when they return home, saying the community already knows people who have lost homes.

Defence Minister David McGuinty said Canada’s military is “on standby” to assist with British Columbia’s wildfire response if needed.

British Columbia is banning recreational off-road vehicles on Crown land in parts of the province to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Penticton RCMP are asking for witnesses and video as investigators work to determine what started the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland.

"It's a constant worry about the fires and how fast they can turn, so you're always sort of sitting on edge worrying what's going to happen, but then when you see the devastation in Summerland and how fast that happened, it really drives it home how suddenly your life can be changed in a not good way." 

Summerland evacuee Shea MacDonald says uncertainty over what he and his neighbours will find when they return home has been one of the hardest parts of being forced out by the Bald Range wildfire.

The Bald Range wildfire grew to an estimated 15,590 hectares Monday morning, according to BC Wildfire Service, while evacuation orders issued by local authorities kept thousands of South Okanagan residents away from their homes.

Penticton’s mayor said officials are watching the wind direction as the out-of-control Bald Range wildfire prompts evacuation orders and alerts for nearby areas.

An 80-year-old woman died while evacuating the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, RCMP said Sunday.