The most recent updates on wildfires in British Columbia reveal that some Summerland residents are allowed to return home as an evacuation order has been partially lifted to an evacuation alert. In the Pear Lake wildfire area, hundreds of properties, including the entire Village of Clinton, were removed from the evacuation order. Similarly, evacuation orders for all properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West have been downgraded to alerts.
Near the Quilpituk Creek wildfire, evacuation orders for properties from Cinnabar Creek to Westshore Estates have been reduced to an evacuation alert. The B.C. Wildfire Service reports that more than 100 wildfires are currently active across the province. As of Friday morning, approximately 18,900 individuals are under evacuation orders, with an additional 10,000 on evacuation alert in B.C.
In Summerland, close to the Bald Range wildfire, part of the evacuation order has been downgraded to an alert, allowing residents of about 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood to return home. Furthermore, properties in the Pear Lake wildfire area, including the Village of Clinton, were also removed from the evacuation order on Friday evening, with evacuees being allowed to return starting Saturday at 8 a.m. PT.
Evacuation orders in the Quilpituk wildfire-affected area have been downgraded to an alert, with approximately 2,400 households impacted by the change. The Regional District of Central Okanagan emphasized the importance of inspecting properties and trees for any damage before re-entry. Additionally, a phased re-entry plan has been put in place to facilitate a smooth return for evacuees.
The Pear Lake wildfire remains the largest in the province, covering an area of 1,574 square kilometers. The Brunswick Creek fire complex in the Fraser Canyon around Boston Bar spans over 700 square kilometers. Highway 97 has reopened with limited daytime hours, while air quality warnings are in effect for various regions of southern B.C., indicating high health risks due to wildfire smoke.
