PENTICTON — Conservative Party of BC Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay became the first official party leader to visit communities in the South Okanagan on Tuesday following the Bald Range wildfire, which forced more than 21,000 people from their homes and left one person dead.
Findlay's travel itinerary included West Kelowna and Peachland where she met with locals alongside MLA Macklin McCall.
She also stopped at the Westbank Lions Community Centre and the emergency support services reception centre at Kal Tire Place in Vernon with Shuswap MLA David Williams.
She later described “heartbreaking devastation” from the nearby Bradley Creek fire while noting the survival of the historic O’Keefe Ranch thanks to first responders and emergency crews. “My thoughts are with families facing the unimaginable loss left by these fires,” she posted.
In an interview with CTV after viewing the Bald Range fire’s impact firsthand, Findlay focused on longer-term prevention. “We can’t keep waiting until the middle of a hot summer to act on forest management,” she said.
The Bald Range wildfire was first reported late on the afternoon of August 7 near Summerland.
It exploded “like a bomb” and intensified quickly, racing toward Okanagan Lake and triggering the full evacuation of Summerland along with thousands more in Peachland and surrounding rural areas including Faulder, Meadow Valley, Garnet Valley and Prairie Valley.
Provincial officials declared a state of emergency the following afternoon, despite calls to call a state of emergency more than a week earlier.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 21,000 people remain under evacuation order across the region, with thousands more on alert.
The fire has grown to approximately 17,800 hectares.
Significant structure loss occurred in outlying valleys, though Summerland’s downtown core was spared. Highway 97 remained closed in sections between Peachland and areas south of Summerland for much of the emergency.
Evacuation orders for the core affected areas stayed in place Tuesday with no firm timeline for re-entry while crews focused on containment and infrastructure assessments.
Findlay’s visit comes as nearby communities like Penticton continue to shelter thousands of displaced residents in hotels and group lodgings secured across the Okanagan.
It's the first visit of an official party leader to the region since the Bald Range fire erupted last Friday — including federal parties.
As previously noted, BC NDP Premier David Eby has yet to visit the region since the wildfire crisis began last week, and federal Liberal Party Leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney remains on vacation in Italy.
He offered his condolences to the woman who died in the fire on X Monday.
Findlay was elected leader of the BC Conservatives on May 30, winning a narrow 51% on the final ballot. She remains party leader but does not hold a seat in the legislature.
