‘Significant risk to life’: Evacuation orders issued for wildfire near Summerland

People evacuated from their homes in Summerland, B.C., after a fast-growing wildfire sparked on Friday describe leaving their homes surrounded by flames with only minutes to spare.

The Bald Range fire grew to 50 square kilometres in three hours after it was first detected at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday evening, said Erick Thompson with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen’s emergency operations centre.

In an update late Friday night, the B.C. Wildfire Service said the fire remains very active and continue to present increased fire behaviour. Growth is anticipated overnight.

The fire is is burning about 15 kilometres northwest of Summerland, which is on the southwest end of Okanagan Lake, around 250 kilometres east of Vancouver as the crow flies.

Evacuation orders have been issued by the Regional District of Central Okanagan, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the District of Summerland.

A B.C. emergency alert issued on Friday says the wildfire poses a significant risk to life.

In a video briefing, Thompson said the fire poses an immediate threat to those in the evacuation zone, which spans from north Summerland to Peachland.

Thompson said the fire is showing aggressive Rank 5 behaviour, meaning that it has a fast-moving flame front with “long-range spotting” that can ignite new fires.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said that winds were carrying embers up to a kilometre ahead of the main body of the fire.

‘Embers on the seats’

In an interview with CBC News, Ashley Jestin said her house burned in the fire. Her home was located at the corner of Fish Lake Road and Princeton Summerland Road.

She said when her husband came home from work at about 4:30 p.m., he saw flames and smoke on the hill by their home, and they began getting packed.

“By the time we got out, we had embers on the seats of our car,” Jestin said.

Jestin said they had only minutes to leave before their home was surrounded by flames, and they left before she heard any evacuation alerts or orders had been issued.

Taylor Colman, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said the fire is spreading up slope, and its growth was accelerating on Friday evening.

“The conditions on site are extremely dry and the forest fuels are very receptive to ignition and there’s wind coming out of the south and southwest — which is driving the fire to the north and northeast,” said Colman.

The B.C. Wildfire Service has deployed air tankers, helicopters and ground personnel. Tactical evacuations were initiated as the fire moved towards structures, said Colman.

According to the 2021 census, Summerland’s population is over 12,000.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.