Most Summerland, B.C., residents can now return home after enduring over a week of tension and worry. Mayor Doug Holmes expressed relief as an evacuation order affecting 3,380 properties was lifted, marking the majority of the community. Efforts are underway to open access to the remaining areas in the coming days, with geotechnical and power work in progress.
Returning residents expressed immense relief upon finding their homes intact, with minimal damage. Cory Lee Myers, one of the returning residents, shared the stress of uncertainty about her home’s safety. Summerland’s fire chief, Rob Robinson, highlighted the efforts to save the downtown area despite some house losses in the wildfire.
While most residents are allowed back, certain parts of Summerland remain under evacuation orders and alerts. Safety concerns persist in Garnet Valley due to unstable slopes and power outages. The community’s water treatment plant offline has led to a boil water advisory, and the landfill is still ablaze, necessitating trash transportation to a regional facility.
Preliminary assessments revealed about 150 structures damaged or destroyed, with social workers and counselors aiding those affected. The 220-square-kilometre fire is still classified as out of control, though progress has been made in containment efforts on the southern and eastern fronts. Firefighters are now focusing on the fire’s aggressive behavior on the western side.