UPDATE:
- Following recent developments, a partial downgrade of evacuation orders to alerts now allows some Summerland residents to return home.
- Multiple properties, including the entire Village of Clinton, have been removed from evacuation orders near the Pear Lake wildfire area.
- Evacuation orders for Peachland and Electoral Area West have been shifted to evacuation alerts.
- Evacuation alerts have been activated for properties from Cinnabar Creek to Westshore Estates in the vicinity of the Quilpituk Creek wildfire.
- The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) reports over 100 active wildfires across British Columbia.
- As of Friday morning, approximately 18,900 individuals are under evacuation orders, with an additional 10,000 on evacuation alert throughout B.C.
Residents Allowed to Return
Thousands of British Columbia residents displaced by wildfires can now return home, as several evacuation orders have been downgraded to alerts.
In Summerland, close to the Bald Range wildfire, a portion of the evacuation order has been transitioned to an evacuation alert, permitting around 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood east of Highway 97 to be reoccupied.
Central Okanagan Emergency Management confirmed the downgrade of evacuation orders to alerts for all properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West on Friday.
Firefighters from the B.C. Wildfire Service near Summerland. (Deanna Dunham/The Canadian Press)
Over 400 properties, including the entire Village of Clinton, have been removed from evacuation orders related to the Pear Lake wildfire. Evacuees will start returning as an evacuation alert is put in place for these areas.
Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke expressed that returning residents should be prepared for changes in the landscape due to the fire, with an estimated loss of approximately 100 homes.
A phased re-entry process is scheduled for evacuees affected by the Quilpituk wildfire, located north of Kelowna, following the downgrade of the evacuation order to an alert, impacting about 2,400 households.
Additionally, an evacuation alert in the area has been lifted.
To facilitate an organized return and reduce traffic congestion, Central Okanagan Emergency Management announced phased re-entry access for residents on Friday morning.
Evacuation orders near the Quilpituk Creek fire were partially downgraded to an alert to facilitate a staged return of residents. (Brady Strachan/CBC)
Residents are advised to inspect their properties and trees for any issues or damage before re-entering