Residents forced from Summerland, B.C. by a fast-moving wildfire remain in limbo, with no idea of when they will be able to return as officials still can’t assess the full extent of structural damage.
The Bald Range wildfire west of Okanagan Lake has continued growing since it was discovered Friday, reaching 178 square kilometres and becoming the most disruptive wildfire in B.C. so far this summer.
The blaze forced the evacuation of the entire District of Summerland, population 12,000, and some neighbouring communities as B.C. declared a provincewide state of emergency Saturday. An 80-year-old woman from Meadow Valley, northwest of Summerland, died while trying to leave her home.
At a news conference Tuesday, officials said cooler temperatures, higher humidity and possible precipitation in coming days are expected to create favourable firefighting conditions. As well, 100 firefighters have arrived from Mexico to help battle the fire, nearly doubling the number of boots on the ground.
But for now, the fire continues to burn out of control and it is too soon to provide residents with more detailed information about the condition of their homes and community, officials said. In the absence of more detailed information, some residents have turned to social-media videos and word-of-mouth reports for updates on what they were forced to leave behind.
Kevin Dunbar, executive director of emergency response and recovery operations at the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, acknowledged how stressful the lack of information can be.
“What’s important to keep in mind is that this is still an active wildfire situation,” he said. “There is still risk. There is still danger.”
Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said rapid damage assessments will be conducted as soon as possible to determine whether homes and other buildings can be safely entered.
“I totally empathize that the uncertainty is just really incredibly hard to sit with in moments of profound loss,” she said. “We will get information to people as soon as possible.”
Provincewide, wildfires have displaced more than 20,000 people, while roughly 10,000 others have been told to prepare to leave on a moment’s notice. More than 13,000 people were receiving emergency support services as of Tuesday.
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Standard staffing for a B.C. evacuee helpline has swelled from three agents to 60, and they took more than 3,000 calls on Monday alone, Mr. Dunbar said.
As of Tuesday, the province had block-booked 1,600 hotel rooms in Penticton, Kelowna and West Kelowna for evacuees, Ms. Greene said. About 1,000 beds are also available in group lodging spaces, which could include arenas and schools throughout the Okanagan.
A water bomber plane flies over Carolyn Dobler, an evacuee from Summerland feeding her goats, at a property run by volunteers working to care for animals affected by evacuations.Paige Taylor White/Reuters
The Bald Range blaze near Summerland is one of four that are highly visible or pose a threat to public safety.
Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations at the BC Wildfire Service, said the favourable weather conditions forecast for the Summerland region should help suppression efforts.
“But in other areas where there isn’t rain, we’re going to see, potentially, new lightning starts. We’re going to see winds that are going to be elevated and unpredictable in terms of direction, and so we are going to continue to be challenged.”
Meanwhile, police reiterated calls for the public to obtain information from official sources and not spread misinformation.
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RCMP spokesperson Staff Sergeant Kris Clark said investigators are working to determine the fire’s cause.
“Although people want answers now, oftentimes it takes time to really come to those answers,” he said.
On Monday, Penticton RCMP said it was aware of “several videos and misinformation circulating on social media in which an individual is observed lighting a non-lethal wildlife deterrent device (commonly known as a bear banger).”
That video was taken kilometres away from where the fire started, Mounties said. Another claim circulating on social media that a man setting off fire crackers may have caused the fire is similarly unverified.
“Please do not perpetuate rumours online about what the cause of the fire is,” Staff Sgt. Clark said. “We’re working toward those answers, and we will hopefully get those answers to you as soon as we can.”