Rapid damage assessments underway following inferno outside Summerland, B.C.
Rapid damage assessments began as crews worked to contain the Bald Range fire, which has burned about 184 square kilometres and forced more than 20,000 evacuations.
- On Tuesday, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen launched rapid damage assessments north and south of Summerland after the Bald Range wildfire forced more than 20,000 residents to evacuate.
- Spanning about 184 square kilometres, the Bald Range fire grew roughly 650 hectares overnight Wednesday, with videos showing homes reduced to blackened foundations in Faulder, a community of about 215 residents.
- Fire behaviour remains volatile; the Wildfire Service expects Rank 2 and 3 intensity with intermittent "torching," while thunderstorm activity Wednesday could produce erratic winds despite cloud cover reducing daytime heating.
- Telecommunications giant Telus committed $2 million for connectivity and bill credits to displaced residents. The province also provided hotel rooms and reception centres in Penticton, Kelowna and West Kelowna for evacuees.
- Across British Columbia, roughly 100 wildfires continue burning as emergency management teams work to contain the Quilpituk Creek fire near West Kelowna. Premier David Eby addressed reporters in Penticton Wednesday regarding the ongoing crisis.
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49 Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about the Bald Range fire and B.C.'s wildfire emergency
Premier David Eby has said British Columbia's wildfire season turned
Search and rescue members kept working despite losing homes in Bald Range wildfire near Summerland
PenSAR said they worked alongside the RCMP, BC Wildfire Service and neighbouring Search and Rescue teams, and spent the night going door to door, ensuring residents were aware of evacuation orders and had safely evacuated. Jesse MacDonald, public affairs Officer, said the response was personal for ...
Status of ‘iconic’ mountain goats living near evacuated B.C. community is uncertain
VICTORIA — It is not clear yet what has happened to a small group of "iconic" mountain goats, as a large wildfire burns out of control near the evacuated community of Summerland, B.C. Motorists travelling toward the community from the north along Hi...
Penticton Western News
Sicamous Eagle Valley NewsStaged reentry in works for Summerland as damage assessment begins
The groundwork is being laid to allow Summerland residents displaced by the Bald Range fire to return home, although an exact time frame is still to be announced. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS)’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) put out an update via a livestream on its YouTube channel. Since Friday, Aug. 7, when the Bald Range fire was first discovered, the EOC has been conducting the livestream t…
After the Bald Range fire, British Columbia's Prime Minister, David Eby, promises sustained government support to affected communities.
David Eby visits Okanagan after 'horrific' fire
Premier David Eby says a wildfire in B.C.’s South Okanagan region that forced about 20,000 residents to evacuate on Friday moved at an unprecedented speed. He says during a briefing in Penticton that the wildfire’s rapid movement is a new normal.
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