Charred road to recovery as crews work to restore services in B.C.’s south Okanagan

Summerland, BC - While the immediate threat of wildfire has passed, a provincial wildfire official warns there is still much work ahead in the community's recovery. Fire crews are relocating their command post out of Summerland as the Bald Range wildfire continues to burn. Utility and telecommunications crews are focused on restoring services on the western side of Okanagan Lake, where the fire forced the evacuation of around 20,000 residents last month.

Stefan Hood, the incoming incident commander, explains that the wildfire service is moving closer to areas with active fire to better address the situation. Despite the progress in Summerland, evacuation orders remain in effect for surrounding rural areas. As of this report, there are about 125 active wildfires in BC, with roughly 40% of them uncontrolled, primarily in the southern half of the province.

Wildfires this summer have caused significant damage, destroying hundreds of structures in the south Cariboo region near Clinton and in the north and south Okanagan.