What you need to know about B.C. wildfires on Aug. 13
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On Thursday morning, the province said there were roughly 18,900 people under evacuation order and roughly 10,000 more on evacuation alert.
B.C.'s premier has promised to review the province's emergency response in the wake of the Bald Range wildfire, which has grown overnight to 191 square kilometres and remains out of control near Summerland.
The Quilpituk Creek fire north of Kelowna is now "being held" by wildfire crews, meaning it is expected to remain within its current perimeter.
Evacuees from the Quilpituk Creek fire are being told to prepare themselves for re-entry, though evacuation orders are still in place for that fire.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says there are 24-hour operations in place as firefighters look to prevent the Ainslie Creek wildfire northwest of Merritt from impacting Highway 8.
Keep up with the latest wildfire information at The Weather Network's wildfire hub
Bald Range fire growth defied models
B.C. Premier David Eby said that the growth of the Bald Range fire near Summerland was so explosive, after it sparked last Friday, that it defied modelling from the BCWS.
He told a Wednesday news conference that it may constitute a "new normal" for fire speed in B.C., and would be something officials keep in mind as they review how emergency services dealt with the sudden influx of evacuees from the fire.
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Penticton Indian Band Chief Greg Gabriel said that Indigenous people need to be involved in taking action and preventing the root causes of wildfires.
"These weather events are not a natural phenomenon," he told the news conference.
"Each and every year we deal with the same situation but we are not making any progress trying to fix these problems."
A helicopter is pictured dumping water above the Bald Range wildfire on Aug. 10, 2026. (B.C. Wildfire Service)
The fire has grown overnight to an estimated 191 square kilometres, according to the latest estimates from the B.C. Wildfire Service. According to evacuees and officials, it has destroyed numerous properties but there is no official tally on losses.
Officials have asked for patience from frustrated evacuees as specialized search-and-rescue crews are deployed to conduct damage assessments.
Some evacuees could return
There were more than 100 wildfires burning in B.C. as of Wednesday night, concentrated in the southern half of the province.
The largest remains the Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton, which covered an area of 1,568 square kilometres as of Wednesday night.
Though tens of thousands remain out of their homes due to the fires across B.C., some evacuees may soon return.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan said Wednesday that residents who had to leave due to the Quilpituk Creek wildfire on Aug. 2 should start preparing to return.
"[BCWS] is making progress on containment of the wildfire and safety assessments are ready to deploy," the district said in a Wednesday evening update.
The fire was downgraded from "out of control" to "being held" Thursday morning.
While a number of evacuation orders remain in place for the fire north of Kelowna, the BCWS said cooler conditions and higher relative humidity were expected Thursday and Friday.
Highways impacted by fires
The northeast edge of the Ainslie Creek wildfire, which covered an area of around 616 square kilometres near Boston Bar as of Wednesday night, is burning close to Highway 8.
On Wednesday evening, the BCWS said that firefighters would be stationed in the area 24/7 as they work to prevent the fire from affecting the highway — which runs through Merritt — as well as nearby structures in the Nooaitch Indian Band reserve.
Due to the Bald Range wildfire, Highway 97 is closed between Peachland and the Pyramid Picnic Area in Kickininee Provincial Park. Traffic is being redirected to Highway 33.
Other closures to Highway 1 north of Hope, and Highway 97 north of Cache Creek, remain in place.
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This article, written by Akshay Kulkarni, was originally published for CBC News. With files from Simon Little and Arden McLeod
Thumbnail image credit to B.C. Wildfire Service via CBC News.