Fast

Fast-moving wildfire forces all of Summerland, B.C., to evacuate

Entire Summerland community in B.C. ordered to evacuate due to wildfire

Wildfire scientist Mike Flannigan says the fire season in B.C. is likely to extend into September, and possibly beyond.

"The seasonal forecast for the fall [is] above normal and dry … and that's typical of El Niño pattern for B.C. is all very warm, dry winter," he told CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.

"We're going to have a long fire season, I'm afraid. It's going to extend well into the fall."

He said fires are also burning through the night — something that, historically, hasn’t been much of an issue. Temperature goes down, humidity increases and wind dies down, he said, tempering flames. But not any more.

And while fire crews have adapted to fight fires through the night, Flannigan said they're still challenging to manage, particularly because of visibility.

-With files from Daybreak Kamloops

Shannon Carr walked down Jones Flat Road with a horse behind her. There are a lot of horses in this part of the Okanagan, and she showed up to help evacuate the animals.

Shannon says she walked nine kilometres with flames on both sides of the road to bring this horse to safety.

Others could not get their horses out. Residents told me some owners put paint on their animals to help them identify them later and opened the gates, hoping the animals would be able to get to safety.

I’m the executive producer for CBC News in the B.C. Interior, and last night I was in Summerland as the fire roared down the mountain and into the Garnet Valley. From there it spread. The speed it moved was shocking to the residents of the Jones Flat Road where I was watching it.

At least 104 fires are burning provincewide, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Nearly half of those — 49 per cent, or 51 total wildfires — are considered out of control. At least 1,588 firefighting personnel also have been deployed across B.C.

The blazes come as the province is experiencing "hot and dry conditions" that are expected to continue, the B.C. Wildfire Service said in an update on Friday.

"Smoke is expected to linger across southern parts of the province for the coming days."

The agency also warned that what's known as "holdover fires" may emerge due to the hot and dry weather. That refers to "lightning-caused fires where heat smoulders undetected until hotter, drier and windier conditions lead to more visible smoke," it said.

Peter Clarke says this is the first time he and his family have been forced to evacuate their home in Summerland due to a wildfire.

"And we've got a little baby, too, so we were ready to go," Clarke said in an interview with CBC News Network from Keremeos, B.C., about 60 kilometres south of Summerland.

Clarke's partner, Nash, said they were only able to pack essentials for their baby and some clothes for themselves before they left. "That's it, we didn't have much time," she said.

The couple said they don't know whether their apartment building has been damaged in the fire.

"The smoke was so thick, you could smell it in the apartment, in the hallway," Clarke said about the situation before they left. "It was so bad.... We couldn't stay."

There have been several evacuation orders and alerts issued across B.C. amid the wildfires.

In addition to the entire District of Sutherland, the Central Okanagan Regional District issued an evacuation order for properties in the Brent Road area, south of Peachland.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen issued an evacuation order for anyone in the Princeton-Summerland Road area.

Authorities also expanded evacuation alerts in the Central Okanagan early Saturday morning.

For more on what you need to know about B.C. wildfires today, see our story here.

The entire District of Summerland has been ordered to evacuate as the Bald Range wildfire continues to grow.

The district declared a state of emergency on Saturday, stating the blaze poses a risk to life and safety.

Highway 97 is now closed in both directions due to the fire. The fire has also resulted in the loss of power through the district, officials said in an update early this morning.

The fire started about 15 kilometres northwest of Summerland, which is on the southwest end of Okanagan Lake, around 250 kilometres east of Vancouver. According to the 2021 census, Summerland's population is more than 12,000.

The Bald Range fire grew to 50 square kilometres in three hours after it was first detected at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, said Erick Thompson with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen's emergency operations centre.

According to a B.C. Wildfire Service update just after 7:40 a.m. PT on Saturday, the fire has grown to 95 square kilometres.

–With files from Jillian Kestler-D'Amours