The Bald Range fire was mapped at more than 100 square kilometres on Saturday evening, just over 24 hours after it sparked near Summerland.
The BC Wildfire Service says it is one of the most challenging fires this province has ever faced, involving helicopter rescues of dozens of people trapped behind the fire line.
The province says tactical evacuations are still underway on Saturday, but it is unclear how many people may be stuck behind the fire lines.
On Friday night, at least 55 people were rescued by helicopter as the wildfire moved fast.
Thousands of properties are under an evacuation order on Saturday, including the entire district of Summerland and part of Peachland, while thousands more are under alert.
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“I also want to stress that the conditions we face in B.C. right now, in particular in the southern third, are explosive,” Cliff Chapman with the BC Wildfire Service said.
“When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night. I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we have never seen before.”
B.C. Premier David Eby declared a provincial State of Emergency on Saturday.
“Homes have been lost, and properties have been destroyed,” Eby said.
“Some people became trapped as conditions changed very quickly and needed to be rescued. It remains a very dynamic and threatening situation. To everyone affected, you are not alone. British Columbians are with you. This new fire marks a significant shift in the overall fire situation in our province.”
The number of homes lost or properties destroyed may not be known for some time.
Summerland’s Mayor Doug Holmes told Global News that the Garnet Valley, Prairie Valley and Faulder areas were hit hard, but he said the downtown core is fine. However, the fire remains close.
Better get used to the wildfires, because this is just the beginning. It’s going to get worse. Much worse.
Yawn. A beautiful show of corruption, incompetence and malace.
Gee, I believe the same words were intoned when the Okanagan Lake Park Fire broke out. I believe I hear that every year. Like ‘unprecedented’, record this, record that”. So, why is government not listening to its own rhetoric? Why is there no mitigation done except, cutting more trees and clearing under brush? Why no bigger planes or use of developing tech to get water on a damned fire!!
Surrounded by immense lakes of water and all we can do is p*ss on them or use gallons of useless fire retardant. Im literally steps away from billions of gallons of life sustaining water and we haven’t the tech to move it efficiently. We can for oil. Or gas. Not water though. Its protected and harbored and exploited by politics. We are watching homes right at the lakes edge burn. We are seeing forests with lakes in them, burn for lack of anything in those lakes. Lack of stewardship and management by either white or indian!
If the fire was indeed arson and they catch the perpetrator who started it then he or she must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, not just given a slap on the wrist because they may be mentally ill, may have had a hard childhood, or any of the other numerous “outs” that people are given these days in court.
Eby was late to the game again should’ve called for Emergency Order a few days before this happened
“Never seen before” Clown news spreading the fake fear.
And what the Fuc do you think happened in Kelowna at Crawford Estates in 2002