Wildfire explodes to 1,000 hectares west of Summerland, forcing evacuation order

PENTICTON — A new wildfire that broke out west of Summerland late Friday afternoon has exploded in size and forced an evacuation order for nearby residents as firefighters, aircraft and structure protection teams scramble to contain the rapidly expanding blaze..The fire, now named the Bald Range wildfire, was first spotted before 5 p.m. along the Princeton-Summerland Road near the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and Trout Creek, roughly 15 kilometres west of Summerland. Witnesses reported a massive plume of smoke and candling trees, with the fire quickly jumping a valley and racing uphill toward Bald Range and a nearby camping area known as Crump.By 5:36 p.m., the B.C. Wildfire Service estimated the blaze at eight hectares and burning out of control. Less than 15 minutes later it had grown to 50 hectares, displaying aggressive rank 4 fire behaviour — an organized flame front with moderate-to-fast spread and short-range spotting. Ash was already falling in Garnet Valley.Growth accelerated through the evening. By 7:10 p.m. the fire had reached 400 hectares. Winds from the south and southwest were pushing it north and northeast. Fire information officer Taylor Coleman said the fire was “spotting well ahead of itself and is into the canopy of the trees, so it’s spreading through the surface rather than smouldering on the ground.”.By approximately 7:30 p.m. the estimated size had jumped to 1,000 hectares with rank 5 behaviour — a fast-moving organized front with moderate to long-range spotting. Rapid further growth was expected under gusty westerly winds after weeks of dry conditions in the South Okanagan.The Regional Districts of Okanagan-Similkameen and Central Okanagan issued a formal Evacuation Order at 7:12 p.m. covering Faulder and the area from the western boundary of Summerland west to approximately kilometre 15 of the Princeton-Summerland Road, north past Darke Lake and south to Bathville Road. Officials stated the Bald Range wildfire “poses a threat to human life” and ordered residents to leave immediately..The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen activated its Emergency Operations Centre earlier in the evening. Princeton-Summerland Road was closed in both directions, with traffic control in place at both ends. Residents and travellers were urged to avoid the area entirely.BC Wildfire Service resources on scene included ground crews, structure protection personnel, multiple helicopters and airtanker groups. At one point late Friday the response included two air tanker groups, three helicopters, additional single resources and more than a dozen firefighters, with numbers increasing as the fire grew.A row of sirens could be heard racing up Highway 97 from Penticton en route to Summerland just before 8 p.m., while news broke that another fire was starting up south of Penticton in Okanagan Falls.Coleman urged residents across the broader area to prepare now. “Have your grab-and-go bag ready. Don’t wait until you’re under an evacuation alert or order to have stuff by the door to leave at a moment’s notice. It’s been very dry out there for weeks, and the winds are just going to drive that fire behaviour and growth. So just be ready to leave on short notice.”The cause of all the fires in the region remain under investigation.

Wildfire explodes to 1,000 hectares west of Summerland, forcing evacuation order

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