Summerland expects to downgrade its final evacuation orders Friday, allowing residents of about 80 properties to return to a wildfire-damaged area where electricity may not be fully restored until Wednesday, chief administrative officer Graham Statt said.
The anticipated return focuses on Garnet Valley Road north of Wildhorse Road, an area Statt described as one of the hardest hit by the Bald Range wildfire.
No firm time has been set. Statt said residents may not be allowed back until later Friday as crews clear roadside vegetation and address hazards.
“I can’t see a lot of that area having power fully restored, even on the main line, until probably Wednesday,” Statt said during Thursday evening’s emergency operations centre update.
The wildfire prompted a community-wide evacuation order affecting 5,688 properties and more than 12,000 Summerland residents on Aug. 8.
The phased return began Friday, Aug. 14, when approximately 400 properties were cleared for re-entry. About 800 more were cleared Sunday, Aug. 16, followed by roughly 3,400 properties Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Statt said 535 properties were under evacuation order Tuesday evening. Another approximately 450 properties were downgraded to an evacuation alert at noon Thursday.
The district’s Thursday order also identified individual properties outside the main Garnet Valley evacuation area that were excluded from the downgrade. Those include addresses on Mott Street, Durick Avenue, Blagborne Avenue, Cartwright Avenue, Garnet Avenue, Denike Street and Bathville Road.
Although parts of Wildhorse Road were downgraded to an alert, the order specifically excludes 25208/25210 Wildhorse Rd. and 25804/25808 Wildhorse Rd.
Residents can check individual addresses through the regional district’s evacuation order and alert map.
Statt said danger trees and damaged power infrastructure have complicated the return north of Wildhorse Road.
Power-line crews will take a required rest day Friday to reduce fatigue risks and satisfy workday requirements. They are expected to return Saturday, Aug. 22, while crews clearing brush along the roadway will work Friday.
“We don’t want a situation where people are impaired by fatigue,” Statt said.
He said the district expects to allow residents back even if electricity has not been restored, recognizing that people want to inspect their properties and begin their recovery.
Some residents who returned Thursday found their homes without electricity, pressurized water or natural gas, Statt said.
The affected properties represent a minority of those cleared for re-entry. In some cases, crews have restored main utility lines but need permission to access private property and reconnect damaged residential services.
“We kind of need them to be back to work with us to allow us to have that access,” Statt said.
Boil-water notice applies across Summerland
A boil-water notice applies to the entire Summerland water system, including properties where water pressure has been restored.
The district and Interior Health recommend boiling water for at least one minute and allowing it to cool before use. Residents can also use bottled water or another safe alternative.
Statt said returning residents should also expect possible delays in garbage collection.
Waste Connections of Canada is working to collect bins within a day or two of residents returning, although the volume of material means crews may need additional time to cover affected neighbourhoods.
The regional district says food scraps should be placed in garbage carts because the compost facility was damaged.
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen information officer Erick Thompson said attention is also shifting to Electoral Area F, where evacuation orders have kept residents away while crews address damaged infrastructure and other hazards.
The regional district has estimated that approximately 110 structures were damaged or destroyed in Electoral Area F, including the Faulder and Meadow Valley areas. Another approximately 40 structures were damaged or destroyed in Summerland.
Officials have cautioned that those figures are preliminary.
Chief calls for greater investment in wildfire prevention
Penticton Indian Band (PIB) Chief Greg Gabriel used Thursday’s briefing to call for expanded wildfire prevention and greater use of Indigenous land-management practices.
Gabriel said prescribed burning and forest thinning can help protect communities while supporting wildlife habitat and the growth of traditional foods and medicines.
“Our people have been carrying out these traditional burns for thousands of years,” he said.
Gabriel said earlier mitigation work near the band’s community helped protect homes during a previous wildfire.
He called for FireSmart BC to be expanded and for greater attention to vulnerable areas surrounding residential neighbourhoods and reserve lands.
Gabriel said he raised his concerns with Premier David Eby and Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Kelly Greene during their visit to the region. He also contacted Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee to seek her support.
“I’m not going to let it go,” he said.
Gabriel also said trespassing on band lands has been an ongoing concern and that PIB has imposed a complete ban on off-road activity on its reserve lands.
Thompson said the emergency operations centre plans to shift to a single daily wildfire update at 2 p.m., unless changing conditions require additional briefings.
Key links and contacts
Evacuation status and emergency updates
- RDOS latest emergency updates
- RDOS evacuation order and alert map
- District of Summerland wildfire updates
- District of Summerland phased re-entry information
- Register for Voyent Alert!
- RDOS emergency operations centre: 250-490-4225
- RDOS emergency operations centre email: [email protected]
Wildfire and transportation information
- Bald Range information line: 236-425-9425
- Bald Range email: [email protected]
- DriveBC road conditions and closures
- Report a wildfire: 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cellphone.
- For an immediate emergency, call 911.
Water, electricity and garbage collection
- Summerland water quality and advisories
- Summerland Electric Utility outage map
- Summerland residential collection calendar
- Waste Connections of Canada: 250-490-3888 or 1-866-998-4888
- Waste Connections email: [email protected]
Support for evacuees and returning residents
- Emergency Support Services registration
- B.C. evacuee helpline: 1-800-387-4258
- Summerland Recovery Centre: George Ryga Arts and Cultural Centre, 9525 Wharton St., second floor. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Penticton reception centre: Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, 273 Power St.
Temporary access permits
- Apply for an RDOS temporary access permit
- Temporary access permit information: 236-500-2936
- Temporary access permit email: [email protected]
Applicants should wait for approval before travelling to a roadblock. Submitting an application does not guarantee access.
Animal, health and mental-health support
- Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team: 250-490-6531 or 250-328-4748
- Animal assistance email: [email protected]
- B.C. Mental Health Support Line: 310-6789
- Interior Health wildfire mental-health resources
- B.C. Centre for Disease Control wildfire-smoke information
