Photo: B.C. Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)
Crews are holding the Bald Range wildfire on three sides as more Summerland residents return home amid heat, smoke and dry conditions.
Crews gain ground near Summerland
SUMMERLAND, B.C. — Fire crews are making progress on a large wildfire near Summerland.
The Bald Range wildfire is now being held on three sides. However, the western edge remains a challenge.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, the fire’s northwestern section near the Princeton-Summerland Road corridor has been difficult to contain. Still, a wide gap remains between the flames and the community.
That distance is giving crews room to work.
More residents can return home
Meanwhile, more Summerland residents have been allowed to return.
Three evacuation orders in the Trout Creek area and along parts of Highway 97 have been downgraded to alerts.
However, residents are being urged to stay ready. Fire conditions can change quickly, and new evacuation orders could still be issued.
Hugh Murdoch of the BC Wildfire Service says crews have made strong progress near homes and other communities.
For now, firefighters are also checking hot spots and putting out areas that are still burning.
Firefighters prepare for a shift
Next, firefighting work is expected to move farther northwest.
That area has more forest, and crews will face hotter and drier weather as the week continues.
As a result, residents may see smoke and small areas of smouldering fire for weeks.
The BC Wildfire Service says this can happen after a large wildfire. Usually, it is not a sign of a new threat.
However, smoke rising from green, unburned areas outside the fire zone should be reported.
More than 20,000 people were forced out
The Bald Range fire grew rapidly on Aug. 7.
As a result, more than 20,000 people were evacuated from Summerland, Peachland and nearby areas.
The wildfire is now estimated to cover about 212 square kilometres.
For many people, however, returning home will be only the first step.
Roie Manoff, a former fighter pilot and owner of Silkscarf winery, says the fire was brutal, fast and enormous.
He says friends and co-workers lost their homes.
Manoff has faced many difficult events in his life. Still, he says the wildfire has shown how quickly conditions can change.
“We have to understand that that’s probably a new norm,” Manoff said. “We have to be prepared.”
He also called for clear and reliable information during emergencies.
Smoke remains a concern across B.C.
Elsewhere in B.C., another major wildfire is creating challenges for returning residents.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says it will accept fridges and freezers at no cost this week from people who have returned to evacuation areas around Clinton.
Food has spoiled inside many appliances after power was cut during the Pear Creek fire.
That fire, first reported on July 17, has now grown to about 1,593 square kilometres.
Meanwhile, hot and dry weather is expected to continue across central and southern B.C.
Northern parts of the province should see slightly cooler temperatures.
However, Environment Canada says smoke will remain a concern. Large parts of southern B.C. are under orange or yellow air quality warnings.
The warnings are expected to continue for at least the next two days.
For residents returning home, the message is clear: progress is being made, but the wildfire threat is not over yet.
