More evacuees can make their way home to Summerland, B.C., after a set of three evacuation orders were downgraded to evacuation alerts near Okanagan Lake. The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen says the alerts are in effect for properties east of Highway 97 and the Trout Creek neighbourhood on the west side of Highway 97. Residents of these areas will be allowed to enter, as officials warn that still-burning fires could upend things without warning. Hugh Murdoch with the BC Wildfire Service says crews are still busy clearing up hot spots in Summerland, and that they’ve had success in knocking down the fire perimeter closest to the communities. He says residents can expect firefighting efforts to shift northwest, where blazes are burning into more forested areas, as hotter weather and drier conditions linger. More than 20,000 residents were evacuated more than a week ago after the Bald Range fire exploded virtually overnight and triggered emergency orders in Summerland and nearby Peachland. For many residents, the road to recovery will be a long one. Roie Manoff, a fighter pilot turned winemaker, has described the fire as being brutal, stormy, fast-moving and immense as it roared through town. Manoff, owner of Silkscarf winery, says the fire has left a lasting scar for many, as his friends and colleagues lost their homes. He says he has weathered many storms in his life, and after more than two decades in business, he understands it would be a losing battle to fight nature. “We have to understand that that’s probably a new norm. We have to be prepared,” Manoff said in an interview. “We have to be able to provide updated, reliable information to anyone in need … and cross fingers that one day things will be better.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2026.
