The RCMP said they were investigating a possible fatality in a massive fire near Summerland that has destroyed homes, left rural homeowners stranded, and forced tens of thousands to flee Okanagan beachside communities.
The possible death was reported by a resident of Meadow Valley, west of Summerland, Southeast District RCMP said in a statement, adding that officers were “working closely with the impacted family.”
The news came hours after B.C. Premier David Eby declared a provincial state of emergency Saturday, saying protecting lives was the government’s top priority.
The fires were like a bomb going off in the Summerland region, Mr. Eby said during a news conference, calling it an “unimaginable day.”
“What we have seen in the last 24 hours is a steep change and a significant departure in terms of fire behaviour in the province,” he said.
Provincial officials said the fires threatening Summerland were some of the most challenging that crews have ever faced in B.C.
First responders used 18 aircraft to rescue more than 50 people due to flames cutting off evacuation routes, according to the province.
“I have never seen a fire like that. It was like Armageddon,” said Summerland evacuee Shannon Ferlizza, who co-owns a local restaurant in the area, where she has lived all her life. “It was so big, so huge. And it had a life of its own. It was like pulsing.”
RCMP block Highway 97 Northbound to direct people away from the Bald Range wildfire in Penticton, B.C., on Saturday.Paige Taylor White/Reuters
Jim Carpenter woke up on Saturday at 2:30 a.m. to the sound of police banging on his door, shouting that he had to evacuate.
Mr. Carpenter has lived in Peachland, located roughly 23 kilometres southwest of Kelowna, for 30 years. He had never been evacuated until Saturday.
He grabbed his cat, some insurance papers and ran to his motorhome and drove to Kelowna.
He said the fires had moved rapidly toward his community and lit up the night sky with an orange glow from the flames. As he was driving away, daylight revealed the thick smoke that blanketed the road.
Mr. Carpenter said he’s not sure whether his home will be safe.
“You got to be worried about embers that can be launched away into the air by the fire and come down and start spot fires on your property,” he said.
The Bald Range wildfire was first reported at 4:29 p.m. Friday, but it grew in size, burning 50 square kilometres in a few hours, raining ash on Summerland and raging so swiftly, wildfire fighters had to recalibrate their strategies.
By Saturday afternoon, the fire had doubled, growing to 103 square kilometres.
More than 20,000 residents were forced to evacuate Summerland, population 12,000, and other Okanagan Lake communities overnight as the wildfire destroyed homes in its path. About 8,000 more people were ordered to leave their homes Saturday in and around Peachland, both on the western shore of the lake. By Saturday evening, the evacuation alert extended to the northern edge of Penticton.
The fires approaching Summerland are rapidly growing and showing extreme levels of energy, heat and momentum, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said at the Saturday afternoon news conference.
The Bald Range wildfire burns, as seen from a vehicle, northwest of Summerland, B.C., late on Friday.BC Wildfire Service/Reuters
Officials said there have been 70 new fires in the last seven days, bringing the total across the province to 105 as of Saturday morning. Drought-like conditions and high temperatures could spark more fires.
Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene said the provincial emergency powers were needed to help secure necessary accommodation for the growing number of evacuees and to impose travel restrictions.
“Our focus is going to be ensuring that the teams on the ground have the tools they need to respond and save lives and protect communities,” she said.
Dozens of stranded residents were told to gather at designated areas, where they were picked up by helicopters and flown to safety.
Roads south from Summerland toward Penticton were jammed with evacuees after the evacuation order was issued at midnight.
Air tanker aircraft had been dropping retardant to help protect nearby houses but were forced to abandon their flights Friday night because of high turbulence.
Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said the fast pace of the wildfires and evacuations has caused a lot of confusion among residents.
“Farmers want to know when they can get back to feed their animals. People, of course, want to know when they can get home,” he said Saturday. “These are all valid questions, and we really don’t have answers right now.”
The blazes torched barns and other infrastructure within the valley, which has many orchards and vineyards, Mr. Holmes said. The community is located along the Okanagan Lake, and “everything behind us is on fire now,” he said.
He said he left the community at 3:30 a.m. and joined a winding convoy travelling towards Penticton because the fires closed the highways heading north.
“People have lost property and my heart goes out to them. It’s going to be a challenging time ahead, but we’ll get through it,” he said.
Evacuees gather outside the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, where people have been redirected due to the Bald Range wildfire, on Saturday.Paige Taylor White/Reuters
Graham Statt, the Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Summerland, provided a wildfire update during a separate Saturday briefing.
“We’re in the stage which I call the fog of war,” he said when asked about when people might even begin thinking about returning to their homes. He pointed out that there are a number of dangers — downed power lines, unsafe drinking water and damaged structures — that have yet to be dealt with.
Officials have not yet tallied the destruction from Friday night, but the wildfire overwhelmed the small community of Faulder, with social media videos showing multiple homes ablaze as residents fled - fire raging on both sides of the road.
Emergency information officer Erick Thompson, with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, said it was one of the “quickest-moving, fastest-growing” wildfires the area had seen.
The escape from Summerland played out on the district’s YouTube feed, where Mr. Thompson hosted a series of live videos, ending with an evacuation from his own home after he was forced to abandon the emergency operations centre and race to join his family.
“I had to leave the EOC to come and get my family to leave this area. We’re heading south,” he said around 1:40 a.m. in a final video from his vehicle. “There’s a lot of traffic backup right now.”
He urged fellow residents to get out as quickly as possible.
“I don’t need to tell anybody that it’s troubling for everyone that this is happening to our community, but we have to be strong, (for) our loved ones, and especially for everyone who needs the help, needs the support. So, look in on your neighbours,” he said.
Kelowna resident Chelsie Lesnoski said she got in her truck and raced the 45-kilometre trip to Summerland on Friday when she heard flames were closing in on the community.
The 27-year-old said she’s been on the road all day since then, losing count of how many trips she’s made getting both evacuees and animals out.
“People love their animals and we don’t discriminate. We’ve been putting the animals in every nook and cranny in the rig to make sure we can get them all,” she said.
While taking a load of horses, goats and chickens out of the community, Ms. Lesnoski said her truck was surrounded by tall flames on either side of the road, which melted her side-view mirrors.
A fair worker looks up at a water bomber plane while it passes over Penticton as crews fight the nearby Bald Range wildfire, on Saturday.Paige Taylor White/Reuters
The BC Wildfire Service said the fire’s behaviour had calmed Saturday morning but was expected to intensify as temperatures rose and winds picked up.
It said more fire crews, structure protection personnel, fire departments, heavy equipment and aircraft have been mobilized.
“Helicopters and airtankers will be used for various objectives, including water and suppressant delivery, and reconnaissance as conditions allow. Smoke and visibility may present challenges for aircraft,” the wildfire service said.
The fire hit the region during Penticton’s Peach Festival, the busiest weekend of the year for many businesses, including Zias Stonehouse. The Summerland restaurant was packed Friday night with about 80 diners, including a large group enjoying a wedding rehearsal dinner.
Ms. Ferlizza, the restaurant’s co-owner, was at home hosting her own dinner party when she was called back to the restaurant to help as employees were ordered to evacuate.
The fire didn’t seem so bad and the diners carried on, she said.
“You know that Titanic movie, where the band keeps playing? That’s how we felt. People were clinking glasses and the piano player was still playing,” Ms. Ferlizza recalled Saturday morning.
It was around 9 p.m. when Zias was told to evacuate. Back home, Ms. Ferlizza, 66, woke her husband at around midnight and gathered what they could from their home and their daughter’s – some favourite photos, passports, and their four goats. They set the chickens free but had to leave the pig behind.
“The scariest part was leaving the house and the wind had picked up and there was ash everywhere and it was going in your nose,” she said. “It just felt surreal.”
While they are safely with family in Penticton, they are concerned about the family business, which they’ve had for about 30 years.
If the restaurant is destroyed, she doesn’t know what the insurance will cover.
“I had company for dinner at my home at 5 p.m. [Friday] night with no cares, no worries at all. The fire had just started and we were having a little party. Life can change that fast.”
With a report by The Canadian Press