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An aerial firefighting crew drops water from a helicopter on the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, B.C., in this Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — B.C. Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)
By The Canadian Press

Rapid damage assessments underway following inferno outside Summerland, B.C.

Aug 12, 2026 | 2:00 AM

PENTICTON — The heavy blanket of smoke that covered much of British Columbia’s Okanagan region for days has thinned, revealing blue skies in Penticton, B.C., where many evacuees have gathered after fleeing an explosive wildfire last Friday.

The Bald Range wildfire, which has forced more than 20,000 people out of their homes in Summerland, B.C., and surrounding areas, spanned about 184 square kilometres on Wednesday, up by about six square kilometres from the day before.

Official details of the losses inflicted by the Bald Range fire have been scant, while videos circulating online show homes reduced to blackened foundations in the community of Faulder, home to about 215 residents, west of Summerland.

An update from Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen said rapid damage assessments started Tuesday in areas north and south of Summerland.

But the area remained an active fire zone, posing safety risks, and there was no timeline for when evacuees may be able to return home, the district said.

Highway 97 remained closed Wednesday from north of Penticton to south of Peachland, the district said.

Cliff Chapman with the BC Wildfire Service had said the smoke settling in valley bottoms was helping to suppress flames, depriving fires of oxygen.

But an update from the service on Wednesday said cloud cover expected this week could “replace the loss of smoke,” helping to put a damper on the fire.

Still, an orange-level air quality warning from Environment Canada covered the Okanagan, from Osoyoos to north of Vernon, as well as the Fraser Canyon and parts of the Kootenay region.

The wildfire service said firefighters, helicopters and structure protection crews continued to tackle the Bald Range fire, building a guard and “backup” control lines along its southern flank, southwest of Summerland.

The fire is one of about 100 active blazes across B.C., with about half burning out of control.

Wildfires this season have also destroyed homes around Clinton, B.C., in the south Cariboo region, as well as on Okanagan Indian Band lands in the north Okanagan.

Telecommunications giant Telus has said it was devoting $2 million to communities affected by the fires, aimed at providing network connectivity, data top-ups and bill credits for customers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press