UPDATE:
- Residents of Summerland are allowed to return home following the partial downgrade of an evacuation order to an alert.
- Many properties in the Pear Lake wildfire area, including the Village of Clinton, have been removed from evacuation orders.
- All properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West are now under evacuation alerts instead of orders.
- Evacuation orders for properties near the Quilpituk Creek wildfire have been changed to an evacuation alert.
- The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) reports over 100 active wildfires across the province.
- As of Friday morning, approximately 18,900 individuals are under evacuation orders, with an additional 10,000 on evacuation alert in British Columbia.
Residents Return Home
Evacuation orders have been downgraded to alerts for several areas, allowing thousands of B.C. residents to return home on Friday.
In Summerland, a section of the evacuation order related to the Bald Range wildfire has been changed to an evacuation alert, permitting around 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood to be reoccupied.
Evacuation orders for properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West were also lifted to alerts on Friday evening, as confirmed by Central Okanagan Emergency Management.
Around 400 properties in the Pear Lake wildfire area, including the entire Village of Clinton, have been removed from evacuation orders and are now under an evacuation alert.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) announced that evacuees can start returning to the area from Saturday at 8 a.m. PT.
Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke mentioned that approximately 100 homes were lost due to the fire, urging returning residents to be prepared for the altered landscape.
Similarly, a staged re-entry process is in place for evacuees affected by the Quilpituk wildfire, with about 2,400 households impacted by the change from an evacuation order to an alert.
The evacuation alert in the Quilpituk area has also been lifted.
Central Okanagan Emergency Management outlined plans for phased re-entry access to manage the return of residents and reduce traffic congestion.
Returning residents are advised to inspect their properties for any damages or issues before re-entering.
Kari O’Rourke from the regional district recommends disposing of fridge and freezer contents and following garbage disposal instructions from the re-entry guide provided to evacuees.
No structural losses have been reported, according to the latest update from the emergency management website.
The Quilpituk Creek fire status was changed from out-of-control to being held on Thursday.
Patience Urged Near Bald Range Fire
The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) is appealing for patience from residents who had to evacuate due to the Bald Range wildfire.
As of Friday noon PT, the fire has spread over an area of 198 square kilometers, as per BCWS reports.