Thousands of Summerland, B.C., residents who were forced to flee from the Bald Range wildfire are being allowed to return home. The evacuation order that cleared out the entire community more than a week ago has been partially downgraded to an evacuation alert, officials announced Tuesday morning. While some homes remain under evacuation order, Erick Thompson with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen confirmed the “majority of Summerland” is now allowed back. “It is a good news day,” Thompson said. “When properties are under evacuation order, the goal is always to get re-entry as quickly as possible to help people get back to their daily lives.” A full list of properties that are still evacuated as of Tuesday is available on the District of Summerland website. Thompson told CTV News businesses and faith-based groups were provided some advanced notice of the downgraded order so they could prepare for the influx of returning evacuees. “When people get back in their community, they’re going to need those services—groceries, restaurants,” he said. A recovery centre has been set up at the George Ryga Arts and Culture Centre on Wharton Street, where returning residents can get important information such as what to do with spoiled food or damaged appliances. A message on the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen website asks Summerland residents to “check the Summerland Electric Utility address lookup map to confirm the length of a power outage before deciding whether to discard fridge or freezer contents.” Community members have also been urged to “stay out of restricted areas” and “not post photos of other people’s properties.” On Monday night, the community was given a clearer picture of the damage wrought by the Bald Range blaze—with officials confirming some 150 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Approximately 40 of those are within the District of Summerland, with the rest located in Electoral Area “F.” Across the province, some 2,100 properties remained under evacuation orders due to the threat of wildfires as of Tuesday morning, with another 14,900 under evacuation alert.
