B.C. has declared a provincial state of emergency after the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire swept through B.C.’s Okanagan Valley Friday night, forcing more than 20,000 people to evacuate their homes. Police in the region say they are investigating a “possible fatality” related to the blaze, and provincial officials said during a news conference that there were still people behind the fire line, either because they chose to ignore evacuation orders or because they were trapped by the fast-moving flames. Several new evacuation orders and alerts were issued Saturday, and the situation was still evolving into the evening. For developments after 7 p.m., follow Emergency Info B.C., DriveBC and the B.C. Wildfire Service, as well as your local government. Here’s everything that happened earlier in the day: 5 p.m. PT: Additional evacuee support Those forced to evacuate their homes in B.C. can access a $200 nightly accommodation allowance. Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee advised the public of the benefit in a post on X Saturday afternoon. Anyone who has trouble signing up on the website can call the B.C. Evacuee Helpline at 1-800-387-4258 for assistance. The helpline runs daily from 7:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. James Paracy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 4:25 p.m. PT: Please keep 911 for emergencies: RCMP Mounties say they’ve been receiving “a high volume of calls to 911 for non-emergency matters.” “Police are encouraging everyone to use 911 for emergency needs only in life or death or crimes in progress situations,” the Southeast District RCMP said in their statement Saturday afternoon. “The public is asked to exercise patience when calling the police.” Those in need of non-emergency assistance or information may want to call their local emergency operations centre, rather than police. In the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, that number is 250-490-4225. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 4:10 p.m. PT: Police investigating ‘possible fatality’ from fire In a statement Saturday afternoon, B.C.’s Southeast District RCMP said it is working with the B.C. Coroners Service to confirm a “possible fatality” reported by a resident who was ordered to evacuate the Meadow Valley area Friday night. “Officers are working closely with the impacted family,” the statement reads. The RCMP’s Summerland detachment is in the evacuation zone and is “adhering to the evacuation orders,” the statement adds, noting that “business continuity plans” are in place. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 4:05 p.m. PT: Penticton residents urged to ‘be prepared’ “The City of Penticton is aware that the evacuation alert area for Bald Range wildfire has been extended to the edge of the city’s boundaries,” reads a statement issued by the city Saturday afternoon. “While there is no immediate risk to Penticton residents, the city is encouraging people to stay informed and take steps to be prepared should conditions change.” The city said its emergency operations centre has been activated and is monitoring conditions with emergency response partners. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 3:55 p.m. PT: New evacuation alerts and order The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has issued new evacuation alerts in regions south of the existing evacuations for the Bald Range wildfire. The new alerts are in place in Electoral Areas F and I, and they stretch toward Penticton’s city limits, where many evacuees from Summerland have already relocated. The Penticton Indian Band has also issued a new evacuation order and alert for its lands south of Summerland. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 3:25 p.m. PT: Bald Range now burning more than 100 square km The Bald Range wildfire has grown to cover more than 100 square kilometres in less than 24 hours, according to the latest update from the B.C. Wildfire Service. The agency’s latest estimate of the fire’s size is 10,340.7 hectares. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 3 p.m. PT: ‘Major strain’ on Penticton Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield joined CTV News Channel Saturday afternoon to discuss the province’s state of emergency declaration and the situation in his city, where roughly 10,000 evacuees fleeing the Bald Range wildfire have ended up. Bloomfield noted that this was already one of Penticton’s busiest weekends of the year, with Peach Fest underway since Wednesday. “The city was already full, and to have 25 per cent more added to your population overnight, it puts major strain on facilities,” Bloomfield said. The festival announced Saturday morning that it would be cancelling all scheduled programming to support emergency response efforts, and the mayor praised the spirit of co-operation his community has shown in welcoming and supporting the evacuees. “There was a sense of shock, and now this afternoon there’s a sense of realization of their situation,” he said, describing the mood at the evacuation centre. “Most people are in there saying, ‘What about my house?’ Because they don’t know. And we don’t know.” Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 2:40 p.m. PT: New orders for old fires The Bald Range wildfire is not the only one threatening communities on Saturday. Two of the B.C. Wildfire Service’s other wildfires of note have also generated new evacuation orders. The Ainslie Creek wildfire, which is part of the Brunswick Complex that forced evacuations in and around Boston Bar last month, prompted new evacuation orders from the Thompson Nicola Regional District and the Nooaitch Indian Band. Both orders are in place near Highway 8, west of Merritt. Elsewhere, the Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation issued evacuation orders related to the Pear Lake wildfire, which is part of the Big Bar Complex that forced the evacuation of the Village of Clinton last month. On its website, the nation clarified that there are “no residents, permanent or temporary” within the areas subject to the evacuation order. “This order is being implemented as a proactive public safety measure to control access and reduce potential risks to the public and emergency response operations,” the nation said. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 2:20 p.m. PT: Stay off Okanagan Lake, CORD warns The Central Okanagan Regional District is warning boaters to stay off the areas of Okanagan Lake where firefighting aircraft are working. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 1:45 p.m. PT: ‘There will be more evacuation orders’ Responding to a reporter’s question about the timing of the state of emergency declaration, BCWS director Cliff Chapman said the volume of evacuation orders currently in place is driving the need for additional tools officials can use to keep people safe. “Let me be clear: There will be more evacuation orders this year,” Chapman said. “I suspect that we are going to continue to see an expansion of evacuation orders on our current fires as the conditions continue to kind of deteriorate.” The next new fire, depending on its location, could also prompt significant evacuations, Chapman noted, referencing the behaviour of the Bald Range blaze Friday night. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 1:25 p.m. PT: Some remain behind fire line Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in the Summerland area as crews work to locate and extract people who are stuck behind the fire line. BCWS director Cliff Chapman said the Bald Range fire “made a run” all the way to Okanagan Lake Friday night. He said crews have spent Saturday trying to build containment lines and protect structures, while also conducting search and rescue missions. “I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are seeing right now are conditions that we have never seen before,” Chapman said. “If we recommend an evacuation order, I need to stress: Now is the time to leave. We do not take those decisions lightly. We make those recommendations based on life, based on saving lives.” Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 1:20 p.m. PT: ‘This is many people’s worst nightmare’ Speaking at the news conference Saturday afternoon, B.C. Wildfire Service director Cliff Chapman began by offering “condolences” from his organization to those who lost property in and around Summerland due to the Bald Range fire. “This is many people’s worst nightmare,” Chapman said. “As an organization, this is one of the more challenging fires that we have ever faced, and we’re only in our second operational period.” Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 1:05 p.m. PT: Provincial state of emergency declared B.C.’s government has declared a provincial state of emergency after the rapid advance of the Bald Range wildfire significantly worsened the overall wildfire situation overnight. Asked earlier this week why the province hadn’t declared a state of emergency, officials said they didn’t feel they needed the tools such a declaration would enable, such as the ability to restrict travel and commandeer hotel accommodations to support evacuees. At a news conference Saturday afternoon, Premier David Eby said the situation has changed. “This new fire marks a significant shift in the overall fire situation in our province,” Eby said. “Emergency officials advise us that they now need the specific tools (a state of emergency declaration) enables available to them at a moment’s notice.” Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 12:45 p.m. PT: Carney extends support Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered his support to evacuees and those fighting wildfires in Summerland, mentioning the federal government would be ready to help B.C. in suppression and evacuation efforts. James Paracy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 12:15 p.m. PT: Care home residents relocated Interior Health says it is working to relocate more than 200 residents from care homes within the evacuation order area in Summerland. According to the health authority, 190 residents from Summerland Seniors Village—which includes independent living, assisted living and complex care units—and 48 residents of the Dr. Andrew Pavillion long-term care home were moved out Friday night and are being relocated to “alternate locations away from the affected area.” “Interior Health is contacting families directly with updates,” the agency said in a statement Saturday. “Families will be informed of their loved one’s temporary location, and updates provided once all relocations have been completed.” Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 12:10 p.m. PT: Evacuees find refuge Penticton’s Mayor Julius Bloomfield says the hours since nearby Summerland was ordered evacuated have been “challenging” for his community. He says suddenly most of the residents of Summerland — roughly 25 per cent of his city’s population — converged on Penticton. Bloomfield says it comes at a time when Penticton is saturated with tourists on Peach Fest weekend. While it caught many by surprise, he says staff mobilized immediately to move the emergency operations facility to Penticton’s convention centre to accommodate the high volume of people coming through. The Canadian Press 12 p.m. PT: Road closures Highway 97 is closed in both directions between the Pyramid Picnic Area at Kickininee Provincial Park, south of Trout Creek and Peachland, starting 500 metres north of Hardy Street. DriveBC has asked those in the area to watch for traffic control and keep an eye out for updates. James Paracy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 11:50 a.m. PT: Eby, officials to speak B.C. Premier David Eby will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. to discuss the wildfire situation in the province. He’ll be joined by Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Kelly Greene, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar, B.C. Wildfire Service director Cliff Chapman and EMCR executive director of emergency response and recovery operations Kevin Dunbar. The province’s livestream of the event can be found here. Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 11:30 a.m. PT: Wildlife society forced to evacuate Beavers, birds, reptiles, and an array of other animals were among those evacuating the area around Summerland early Saturday morning. An announcement via social media explained the Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society had shut off its cameras and safely evacuated all creatures in its care. “Everyone in Summerland had to evacuate due to a massive wildfire moving really fast— including us,” the update from just before 2 a.m. reads. The facility is regularly home to rehabilitated otters, muskrats, bats, beavers, snakes, turtles, swans, herons, and geese. No announcement has been made on the status of the facility as of Saturday. James Paracy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 11 a.m. PT: RDOS live updates Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen communications manager Erick Thompson has pledged to livestream updates on the wildfire situation throughout the day on the district’s YouTube channel. Thompson and his family reside in Summerland and were forced to evacuate around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, he said at the start of the livestream, which can be viewed here: Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca 10:30 a.m. PT: B.C.’s most destructive fire seasons With thousands on evacuation orders once again, The Canadian Press has taken a look back at some of B.C.’s most devastating wildfire seasons, all of which have occurred in the last decade. The Canadian Press 10: a.m. PT: Why some ignore evacuation orders When Tom Davison’s son-in-law invested in firefighting equipment for their orchard near Vernon, B.C., after a wildfire swept past in 2021, Davison wasn’t sure the hoses would get much use. He figured the blaze, which caused smoke damage to the property, would be a once-a-century experience. But after high winds pushed flames up to the fence line of Davison Orchards’ property on Aug. 1, Davison said he was grateful for his son-in-law’s foresight that helped protect the orchard that has been in the family for five generations. “The fact that he had the proper equipment on site was really a big part of why we were able to do what we did that night,” he said. The Canadian Press 9 a.m. PT: ‘They barely got out’ Video shared with CTV News Friday night shows a line of orange flames advancing down a hillside as the person recording from a vehicle flees the area. John Middleton’s daughter was one of those forced to leave Faulder during tactical evacuations. “It was flames all over,” he said, describing his daughter’s escape. “They tried to get the dogs out. They were being ushered out by the cops. She got some burns on her face and around. They barely got out. It was crazy.” Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca
