Hundreds of firefighters battling Bald Range blaze near Summerland
Published 5:45 am Friday, August 14, 2026
Clearer skies and windy conditions increased fire behaviour at the Bald Range wildfire west of Summerland on Thursday, Aug. 13.
As of Friday morning, Aug. 14, all evacuation orders and alerts remain in place. On Thursday night, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) provided an update on the staged re-entry process for evacuees.
In its Thursday night update, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said the fire displayed Rank 3 and 4 in some places, including the Shingle Creek area to the west. There, crews worked to hold the fire using a combination of control lines constructed by heavy equipment and water delivery systems.
The fire also experienced growth in the Princeton-Summerland Road area, moving upslope to the west.
BCWS also said that tanking efforts on Wednesday in the Fish Lake Road area helped contain increased fire activity. Throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning, two night vision helicopters continues to support suppression efforts. Fire crews are also planning small-scale hand ignitions in the Shingle Creek Road area to remove unburned fuels and strengthen control lines.
At the southern flank of the blaze, the fire continues to remain on the western side of Mt. Conkle and west of the ecological reserve. Crews have been making progress in this area, working from east to west to establish and reinforce control lines.
On Friday, fire behaviour is expected to burn at Rank 2 and 3; however, the weather will play a factor if activity increases.
“If skies clear during the afternoon, there is potential for Rank 4 fire behaviour,” said BCWS. “However, increased cloud cover could help moderate fire activity by reducing direct sunlight and daytime heating.”
In its latest update, the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) stated that while residents might not be able to see the fire in the distance, it’s still burning and is unpredictable.
“While some residents may not always see significant fire activity near their community, BC Wildfire Service advises that the Bald Range Wildfire remains highly influenced by weather and wind conditions,” stated the RDCO. “Fire behaviour can change rapidly, particularly when winds increase or shift direction. Previous BC Wildfire Service updates have noted that convective activity, thunderstorms and erratic winds have the potential to increase fire behaviour and challenge suppression efforts.”
BCWS also noted that since July 1, the area of the Bald Range wildfire has received a total of 2 mm of rain. Because of this, the The Drought Code, which is an indicator of moisture levels in deep organic layers and larger fuels, is currently above 1,000. At this time of year, a more typical Drought Code would be approximately 800.
Additionally, Highway 97 will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for ‘through traffic only‘.
Currently fighting the blaze is an Incident Command Team, 225 firefighting personnel, 54 structural protection personnel, 32 pieces of heavy equipment, and two night vision helicopters working around the clock to extinguish the blaze.
The Bald Range wildfire is 19,149 hectares in size and remains out of control. It is one of four wildfires of note and one of 112 active wildfires in the province.
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