UPDATE:
- Residents in Summerland are allowed to return home as an evacuation order has been partially lifted to an evacuation alert.
- Multiple properties in the Pear Lake wildfire area, including the entire Village of Clinton, have been removed from evacuation order status.
- Evacuation orders for all properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West have been downgraded to evacuation alerts.
- Evacuation orders for properties from Cinnabar Creek to Westshore Estates near the Quilpituk Creek wildfire have been changed to an evacuation alert.
- The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) reports that more than 100 wildfires are currently active in the province.
- As of Friday morning, approximately 18,900 individuals are under evacuation orders, with an additional 10,000 on evacuation alert across British Columbia.
Residents Return Home
Several British Columbia residents are permitted to return home on Friday as certain evacuation orders have been downgraded to alerts.
In Summerland, near the Bald Range wildfire location, part of the evacuation order has been changed to an evacuation alert. Around 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood east of Highway 97 are now open for residents to return.
Evacuation orders for all properties in Peachland and Electoral Area West have also been downgraded to alerts on Friday evening, as per Central Okanagan Emergency Management reports.
Additionally, more than 400 properties near the Pear Lake wildfire, including the Village of Clinton, have been removed from the evacuation order.
Instead, an evacuation alert will be in place for these properties, and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) announced that evacuees can start returning on Saturday at 8 a.m. PT.
Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke mentioned that the returning residents should expect significant changes due to the fire impact, estimating around 100 homes lost.
A staged re-entry plan is also in place for evacuees affected by the Quilpituk wildfire, situated north of Kelowna, following the evacuation order downgrade. This change affects approximately 2,400 households.
An evacuation alert in the area has been lifted as well.
Central Okanagan Emergency Management stated on Friday morning that phased re-entry access would be granted to residents to facilitate an organized return and minimize traffic congestion.
Residents are advised to check their properties and trees for any damage before re-entering their homes.
Kari O’Rourke from the regional district advised disposing of the contents of fridges and freezers at this point, with further guidance on waste disposal provided in a re-entry guide for returning evacuees.
Currently, no structural losses have been reported, according to the <a href="https://www.coemergency.ca/updates/evacuation-order-downgraded-alerts-lift