The Bald Range wildfire has triggered sweeping evacuations in British Columbia after racing across remote parts of western Canada and doubling in size since it was first discovered on Friday. The Bald Range wildfire is now moving through the Summerland and Okanagan-Similkameen districts, where officials say it has become a fast-changing emergency for entire communities.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, the blaze has grown to more than 36 square miles, or 95 square kilometers. Erick Thompson, an emergency official with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, described it as one of the quickest-moving and largest fires he has seen in a very short time in a region that is familiar with wildfire threats. Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, was ordered to evacuate, and about 8,000 residents of nearby Peachland were also told to leave. City officials said power was cut across Summerland early Saturday.
Thompson was giving updates from the emergency operations centre on Friday evening as the fire advanced. By the next morning, he posted a video from his car saying he had left the centre to get his own family out. “I had to leave the EOC to come and get my family to leave this area. We’re heading south,” he said. His comments underscored how quickly the situation changed for both residents and emergency workers trying to stay ahead of the flames.
Officials had not yet determined how many structures had been lost in the blaze. The fire’s speed and size raised immediate concern across the region, where wildfire season can force sudden evacuations and strain local response systems. In communities like Summerland and Peachland, the orders meant families had little time to gather belongings before leaving.
