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B.C. Premier David Eby declared a state of emergency on Aug. 8 as wildfires remain out of control, and 20,000 residents near Okanagan Lake were ordered to evacuate.
Eby said some people became trapped and had to be rescued in the Summerland area, adding that air evacuations are underway for people cut off by wildfire.
The hillside burns as residents evacuate towards Kelowna after midnight from the Bald Range wildfire along Highway 97 near Summerland, B.C., on Aug. 8, 2026. Terry Fries/Handout via Reuters
“It remains a very dynamic and threatening situation,” he said.
Cliff Chapman, director of wildfire operations with BC Wildfire Service, said the situation is very volatile.
“I want to stress that the conditions we face in B.C. right now, in particular in the southern third, are explosive,” he said.
“If we recommend an evacuation order, I need to stress now is the time to leave. We do not take those decisions lightly.”
Chapman said firefighters are focused on building containment lines to bring the fire under control.
“We’re continuing to do structure protection and structure defence,” he said.
Smoke rises from the Bald Range wildfire over a residential street in Summerland, B.C., on Aug. 7, 2026. Terry Fries/Handout via Reuters
B.C. Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene said declaring a state of emergency enables the province to commandeer accommodation provisions or enact travel bans if there is a need to do so.Greene said that beside the wildfire in Summerland, the wildfire situation across the province “continues to evolve.” She added that some areas of the province are unaffected, and those planning on visiting those areas are welcome to do so after checking the information on EmergencyInfoBC.gov.bc.ca and DriveBC.ca.
Eby said that he has been in touch with Prime Minister Mark Carney, and that he has “pledged his full support.”
Carney said in a statement that the federal government stands ready to help with the wildfire.
“I’m keeping everyone forced from their homes in my thoughts and hoping they can return safely soon,” he said.
A helicopter conducting night operations prepares to drop water on the Quilpituk Creek wildfire burning on the west side of Okanagan Lake near Fintry, B.C., on Aug. 3, 2026. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
Evacuation Order
Evacuation orders were issued for the B.C. district of Summerland and parts of neighboring Peachland in the Okanagan as a fast-moving wildfire approached.
The evacuation order was issued around 3 a.m. on Aug. 8 by the regional districts of Okanagan-Similkameen and Central Okanagan, and the District of Summerland, ordering residents to leave their homes as the Bald Range wildfire approached.
Residents were told to evacuate to 550 Eckhardt Avenue West in Penticton, or 2466 Main Street, Westbank Lions Community Centre, West Kelowna, and to call 911 if unable to evacuate.
Smoke rises from the Bald Range wildfire over a residential street in Summerland, B.C., on Aug. 7, 2026. Terry Fries/Handout via Reuters
The order applied to anyone living in Summerland, as well as those in the Brent Road and Log Chute Road area south of Peachland; Faulder; from Darke Lake south to Bathville Rd, including the Garnet Valley area; and Princeton-Summerland Hwy to km 15.
The Bald Range wildfire was first reported to authorities at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 7, but grew quickly and overwhelmed the small railway town of Faulder, approximately 10 kilometres west of Summerland. The fire spread 50 square kilometres in just a few hours following its discovery.
As of press time, the B.C. Wildfire Service estimates the size of the wildfire to be 9,500 hectares, and is listed as “out of control,” meaning that it is “spreading or it is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter, or control line.” A total of four evacuation orders and three evacuation alerts have been issued for the Bald Range wildfire, as of Aug. 8.
The service reports that there are currently 104 active wildfires in the province, six of which started within 24 hours of the update made on Aug. 7.
The Bald Range wildfire glows from behind hills near a residential street in Summerland, B.C., on Aug. 7, 2026. Terry Fries/Handout via Reuters
One of those is the Bradley Creek wildfire, which continues to rage in the area surrounding the city of Vernon, about 100 kilometres north of Summerland at the northern edge of Okanagan Lake. That wildfire, approximately 2,900 hectares in size, is also out of control as of press time.
Central Okanagan Emergency Management asked residents to shut off all gas and electrical appliances other than refrigerators and freezers and close all windows and doors as they left their homes. Gates should be closed and latched, but not locked, and critical items such as medicine, a purse, wallet, and keys—if immediately available—should be taken, it said, adding that pets should be taken in a kennel. The service also asked that phones not be used unless emergency service is required.
“Gather your family and, if you have room, take a neighbour or someone needing transportation. Do not use more vehicles than you have to,” it said.
