Summerland mayor makes emotional plea to community to brace for what's 'not there'

Summerland mayor makes emotional plea to community to brace for what's 'not there'

B.C. RCMP investigating cause of explosive Bald Range wildfire

Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes got emotional talking about how residents have pulled together to help each other during the evacuation.

"It's been incredible," he said.

He acknowledged people's patience will "start to wear thin" as they are forced to stay away from their homes, but urged residents not to turn to infighting or blame.

"We can't lose sight of who we are. We need to keep helping each other. And when we do get back, we need to brace ourselves for what's there or what's not there. It's going to be hard. It's going to be really hard," Holmes said, his voice breaking.

"We all know people who have lost homes.… And those people need our help."

I'm Tiffany Goodwein and I am a CBC reporter based in Penticton, B.C.

I'm at Bethel Church, the emergency food donation centre for wildfire relief. Volunteers have been working through the weekend collecting donations and putting together food hampers for Summerland evacuees. Community Connections pastor Holly Bates said there is an entire crew of people delivering food. Many of the hampers are going to evacuees still living in their cars and RVs throughout the city. She said demand for food support is high and they are in need of more food donations to keep up.

Officials say re-entry plans are underway for thousands of evacuees in the Summerland area, but have not provided a timeline for when they might be able to return.

Summerland chief administrative officer Graham Statt says the plan will be rolled out in phases after town officials are able to get back in and assess damages. Some structures have been lost, but officials have not said how many.

In the meantime, some temporary re-entry has been granted for critical infrastructure, with staff working at Telus facilities and the water treatment facility that's still being threatened by a nearby landfill fire.

Wildfire officials say they continue to increase staffing, with 100 firefighters arriving from Mexico to start Tuesday morning, while the Canadian military is on standby.

Amid the devastation, the mayors of Summerland and Penticton are applauding residents for helping each other during the evacuation process.

RCMP continue to investigate the cause of the Bald Range fire, but are urging the public not to speculate.

Statt said officials are aware that there are some people who've decided to stay home in contravention of the evacuation order.

He said the RCMP have advised these individuals to not leave their homes.

Statt said he does not have a number on how many there are, but said they've made themselves known to first responders.

Statt said the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway (KVR) is intact and the train has been moved to a safe location.

"I've had personal conversations with representatives from the KVR. The trestle remains intact, the train itself … is fine," Statt said.

The KVR, built in the early 20th century, is a popular tourist attraction.

Officials say there is no clear timeline for when a boil-water advisory in Summerland will be lifted.

The notice was issued after a water treatment facility had to be evacuated due to encroaching fire.

Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for the District of Summerland, said the facility itself was not ultimately impacted, and some staff have returned "to get things going again, to start flushing systems" as part of re-entry planning, but noted testing from Interior Health would shape next steps.

He said a landfill near the treatment facility is "literally on fire" and crews are currently fighting it.

Responding to a question about residents reporting problems with cell reception and internet service, Statt said the town has been granting temporary re-entry to the evacuation zone to keep critical infrastructure working. He noted Telus is among those granted access to its facilities in Summerland.

"If service impacts are being experienced, perhaps it's volume or some other reason," he said.

Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield applauded residents for making an "enormous amount" of donations to help wildfire evacuees.

"I've watched just a steady stream of people coming in with truckloads of donations. And they keep on coming," he said.

Chief Greg Gabriel of the Penticton Indian Band says the worsening climate crisis is making events like Bald Range happen more often.

"Everyone throughout the province, throughout the country, knows that these climate events are changing for the worse each and every year," Gabriel said.

"That message needs to get out to politicians, decision makers — start really focusing on how we can change that."

Asked whether he thought an accelerant had been used in the rapid spread of the fire, B.C. Wildfire Service incident commander Murdoch said, "I would suggest that Mother Nature has provided all the accelerant necessary to do what's happened."