Wildfires Shut Down B.C. Wineries' Peak Tourism Season, Leaving Financial Strain
Crews are using 376 firefighters, 16 helicopters and 59 heavy equipment units as evacuation orders remain in place, BC Wildfire Service said.
- The Bald Range Wildfire near Summerland has surpassed 20,553 hectares, remaining out of control as of Saturday. Incident commander Hugh Murdoch reported "really good success" in knocking down the fire perimeter closest to the community.
- Saturday's response includes 376 firefighting personnel, 16 helicopters, and 59 pieces of heavy equipment. More than 100 structure protection personnel continue to patrol areas, extinguish hotspots, and maintain critical systems.
- Summerland CAO Graham Statt announced staged re-entry for some Trout Creek residents on Friday, though the community's landfill remains a "growing concern" due to burning compost. Evacuation orders in Peachland and Electoral Area West were downgraded to alerts.
- At a Penticton comfort centre, evacuees are using art to process emotions through programs supported by the Penticton & District Community Arts Council. Volunteer art therapist Heidi Abbott noted that simple creative activities help residents "give their nervous system a break."
- Personnel continue to conduct hand ignitions "where weather conditions allow" to reinforce control lines as crews remain in forested areas for the foreseeable future. Rockfall and downed trees continue to present hazards along roadways.
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Mayor Doug Holmes says he feels a slight sense of guilt about going home before all his people can do the same.
Rocky Mountain Outlook
Wildfires shut down B.C. wineries' peak tourism season, leaving financial strain
VANCOUVER — Mike Stohler, who runs a winery with his wife in Summerland, B.C., finally got a chance to visit his vineyards, nearly a week after being evacuated due to the ferocious Bald Range wildfire that threatened the town.
Penticton Western News
Sicamous Eagle Valley NewsSummerland evacuation drives home need for better back road intelligence
When the Bald Range wildfire forced the rapid evacuation of the entire District of Summerland, Chris Stewart and his family learned a valuable lesson about how quickly wildfire conditions can change, and how little reliable information exists about the back roads people may suddenly need. Stewart is a co-founder of Kelowna-based BackRoadIntel, a company that maps the condition of forest service roads and other unpaved routes. Using sensors, vid…
UPDATE: More Summerland wildfire evacuees could return home Sunday, CAO says - Creston Valley Advance
UPDATE: 2 p.m. The pace is picking up on staged re-entry into Summerland for evacuees of the devastating Bald Range wildfire. “I’m planning on rolling with a larger area than originally planned tomorrow (Aug. 16),” Summerland CAO Graham Statt said. “It’s not going to be all of Summerland. We have damaged areas, we still have areas with downed power lines. But for the areas further away from the fire and the least impacted, we’re bundling those t…
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