Hundreds of Summerland residents are allowed to return home as an evacuation order has been partially lifted to an evacuation alert. The Pear Lake wildfire area, including the entire Village of Clinton, saw properties removed from the evacuation order. Evacuation orders for properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West were downgraded to alerts. Similarly, evacuation orders near the Quilpituk Creek wildfire, affecting properties from Cinnabar Creek to Westshore Estates, were also downgraded to an alert.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) reported over 100 wildfires burning across the province. Currently, there are approximately 18,900 people under evacuation orders and about 10,000 individuals on evacuation alert in British Columbia.
In Summerland, close to the Bald Range wildfire, part of the evacuation order was downgraded to an alert. Residents of around 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood to the east of Highway 97 can now return home. Additionally, all properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West had their evacuation orders downgraded to alerts by Friday evening.
Moreover, more than 400 properties in the Pear Lake wildfire area, including the Village of Clinton, were taken off the evacuation order and placed on an evacuation alert. Residents are expected to start returning to the area on Saturday morning. Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke mentioned that approximately 100 homes were lost due to the fire.
Furthermore, evacuees from the Quilpituk wildfire, located north of Kelowna, will also return in a staged manner as the evacuation order has been downgraded to an alert. This change impacts about 2,400 households, and the evacuation alert in the area has been lifted.
Authorities advise residents to inspect their properties and trees for any damage before re-entering their homes. Additionally, Central Okanagan Emergency Management announced a phased re-entry access plan to facilitate an organized return home and reduce traffic congestion.
As the situation progresses, Premier David Eby mentioned that specialized search-and-rescue crews are being deployed for damage assessments. The Quilpituk Creek fire was downgraded from out-of-control to being held on Thursday.
Furthermore, there are over 110 active wildfires burning in British Columbia. The Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton covers an area of 1,574 square kilometers, while the Brunswick Creek fire complex in the Fraser Canyon around Boston Bar spans an area of over 700 square kilometers.
Highway 97 has reopened with limited daytime hours, while several other highway closures remain in effect. Air quality warnings have been issued for many southern B.C. regions due to high wildfire smoke levels, with a very high health risk warning for the Fraser Valley on Friday afternoon.