Tag: Penticton

Premier David Eby said B.C. may need to rethink how it protects communities from increasingly intense and unpredictable wildfires.

The chief of the Penticton Indian Band is urging the provincial and federal governments to prioritize wildfire preparedness to help protect communities across B.C., including those in the Okanagan threatened by increasingly large fires.

The Bald Range wildfire grew to an estimated 15,590 hectares Monday morning, according to BC Wildfire Service, while evacuation orders issued by local authorities kept thousands of South Okanagan residents away from their homes.

Penticton’s mayor said officials are watching the wind direction as the out-of-control Bald Range wildfire prompts evacuation orders and alerts for nearby areas.

Penticton was on edge Saturday night as evacuation alerts tied to the Bald Range wildfire reached the city boundary and officials urged residents to prepare grab-and-go kits, according to the City of Penticton.

More than 12,000 people have been ordered out of Summerland as a wildfire west of the community grows to 9,500 hectares and Highway 97 is closed through the area, cutting the main route between Penticton and Peachland.

B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon was in Penticton on Thursday touting the progress of the province’s Rental Protection Fund.