Entire Summerland community ordered to evacuate due to fast-moving wildfire
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The entire District of Summerland, B.C., home to more than 12,000 people, has been ordered to evacuate as the nearby Bald Range wildfire spreads.
An additional 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland have been ordered to evacuate.
Several evacuation orders and alerts were expanded in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The wildfire has been declared a wildfire of note by authorities and has burned over 95 square kilometres as of Saturday morning, according to available estimates.
There are currently 104 active blazes in B.C. The cause of the Bald Range fire isn't yet known.
Evacuation orders and alerts have been expanded as a fast-moving wildfire races toward Summerland, B.C., forcing more than 20,000 people to evacuate.
The entire District of Summerland was forced to evacuate in the early hours of Saturday morning just after midnight due to the Bald Ridge wildfire.
About an hour later, dozens of properties were ordered to evacuate in Peachland and Electoral Area West on Brenda Mine Road and in the Renfrew and Upper Princeton areas.
Keep up with the latest wildfire information at The Weather Network's wildfire hub.
The Bald Range fire is expected to grow overnight, and Highway 97 may be closed, according to officials. (Jay Bertagnolli/CBC)
Dozens more properties in the Peachland watershed and Brenda Mines area, Lower Princeton, and the downtown core were placed on evacuation alert just after 3 a.m. PT.
Highway 97 is closed in both directions for a stretch between Peachland and the Pyramid Picnic Area at Kickininee Provincial Park, just south of Summerland.
The district declared a state of emergency on Saturday, stating the wildfire poses a risk to life and safety.
The fire started about 15 kilometres northwest of Summerland, which is on the southwest end of Okanagan Lake, around 250 kilometres east of Vancouver.
The Bald Range fire grew to 50 square kilometres in three hours after it was first detected at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, said Erick Thompson with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen's emergency operations centre.
The Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, B.C., is seen on Aug. 7, 2026. The rapidly growing fire prompted a swath of evacuation orders on Friday. (Submitted by Gail Rella)
Evacuation orders have been issued by the Regional District of Central Okanagan, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the District of Summerland.
Authorities expanded evacuation alerts in the Central Okanagan early Saturday morning.
In a video briefing, Thompson said the fire poses an immediate threat to those in the evacuation zone, which now encompasses all of Summerland.
He said at least 55 people have been rescued by air support.
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Thompson said the fire is showing aggressive Rank 5 behaviour, meaning that it has a fast-moving flame front with "long-range spotting" that can ignite new fires.
He added it was one of the "quickest-moving, fastest-growing" wildfires the area had seen.
B.C. Wildfire Service currently has the wildfire stage characterized as "out of control."
The regional district spokesperson said people should prepare for Highway 97 to be closed.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said that winds were carrying embers up to a kilometre ahead of the main body of the fire.
'Embers on the seats'
In an interview with CBC News, Ashley Jestin said her house burned in the fire. Her home was located at the corner of Fish Lake Road and Princeton Summerland Road.
She said when her husband came home from work at about 4:30 p.m., he saw flames and smoke on the hill by their home, and they began getting packed.
"By the time we got out, we had embers on the seats of our car," Jestin said.
Numerous properties in the District of Summerland in the B.C. Interior were evacuated due to the nearby Bald Range wildfire on Aug. 7. (Submitted by Gail Rella)
Jestin said they had only minutes to leave before their home was surrounded by flames, and they left before she heard any evacuation alerts or orders had been issued.
Taylor Colman, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said the fire is spreading up slope, and its growth was accelerating on Friday evening.
"The conditions on site are extremely dry and the forest fuels are very receptive to ignition and there's wind coming out of the south and southwest — which is driving the fire to the north and northeast," said Colman.
The B.C. Wildfire Service has deployed air tankers, helicopters and ground personnel. Tactical evacuations were initiated as the fire moved towards structures, said Colman.
According to the 2021 census, Summerland's population is over 12,000.
B.C.'s Interior Health, the regional health authority, confirmed that it's monitoring the situation and working to relocate 48 residents from Summerland's long-term care facility, Dr. Andrew Pavillion. Efforts are underway to relocate another 190 residents from Summerland Seniors Village.
"This is an evolving situation, and we are working closely with municipalities, regional districts and the B.C. Wildfire Service to ensure precautions are underway to protect patients, clients and individuals in long-term care," Interior Health said in a statement.
The Bald Range wildfire is just one of 104 active blazes in the province, and officials say an investigation into its cause remains ongoing.
Thumbnail submitted by Ashley Jestin via CBC.
This article, written by Jacqueline Gelineau, was originally published for CBC News. With files from The Canadian Press.