Photo:B.C. Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)
More Summerland residents return as crews hold the Bald Range wildfire on three sides, while hot, dry weather keeps fire risks high.
Summerland wildfire: More evacuees return home
SUMMERLAND, B.C. — Some Summerland residents are heading home as firefighters gain ground on the Bald Range wildfire.
Crews have held the fire on three sides. However, the western edge remains tough to manage.
For now, officials say a wide gap still separates the fire from Summerland.
More residents are allowed home
Several evacuation orders have now been reduced to alerts.
The changes affect Trout Creek in southern Summerland. They also cover some areas along Highway 97.
Still, residents are being urged to stay ready. Conditions can change fast, and new orders could come without much warning.
Hugh Murdoch of the BC Wildfire Service says crews have made good progress near homes and other built-up areas.
However, the work is not over. Teams are still putting out hot spots and checking areas where fire may linger.
Fire crews shift towards the northwest
As work near the community winds down, crews are expected to focus more on the northwest side.
There, the fire is moving through thicker forest.
At the same time, hot and dry weather is expected to continue across much of southern and central B.C. As a result, crews will need to stay alert.
The Bald Range wildfire now covers about 212 square kilometres.
Smoke may linger for weeks
Residents should not be surprised to see smoke in the weeks ahead.
Fire officials say smouldering ground fire can remain inside a large wildfire’s boundary long after the main flames are gone. In most cases, that smoke is not a sign of a new threat.
However, smoke rising from green, unburned areas outside the fire zone should be reported.
That warning matters because the fire has already had a major impact on the region.
Thousands were forced to leave
More than 20,000 people were evacuated after the Bald Range fire grew rapidly on Aug. 7.
Emergency orders were issued in Summerland and nearby Peachland as the fire spread.
Now, while some people are returning, many others are facing a much longer road back.
Roie Manoff, a former fighter pilot and owner of Silkscarf winery, says the fire was huge, fast and violent.
He also says friends and colleagues lost their homes.
After more than 20 years in business, Manoff says he knows people cannot control nature. Instead, he believes communities must prepare for a future in which major wildfires may become more common.
For residents, reliable information will be just as important as the firefighting itself.
Other B.C. communities face long recovery
The wildfire recovery effort is also continuing elsewhere in B.C.
In the Thompson-Nicola region, residents returning to evacuation zones around Clinton can dispose of fridges and freezers at no cost this week.
Food was left to spoil after power was cut when the Pear Creek fire threatened the area last month.
That fire has now grown to about 1,593 square kilometres since it was first reported on July 17.
Hot weather and smoke remain a concern
Meanwhile, hot and dry weather is expected to continue across central and southern B.C.
Northern areas should see a small drop in temperatures. Winds in the southern half of the province are also expected to stay light.
Even so, wildfire smoke remains a concern.
Environment Canada has issued orange or yellow air quality warnings across large parts of southern B.C. The agency says smoke is affecting, or could affect, those areas for at least the next two days.
For Summerland, the latest progress offers some relief. However, with fire still burning in the forest and dry weather ahead, the situation remains one to watch.
