Red Deer woman's family flees B.C. wildfire that forced 10,000 from homes
A Red Deer resident's relatives escaped a fast-moving wildfire near Summerland, B.C., as ash fell like coins during a birthday party before the blaze exploded in size overnight.
Why it matters
Many Albertans, including in Red Deer, have family ties to Okanagan communities directly threatened by the fast-moving fire.
Dawn Wertz, who grew up in Summerland, B.C., but now lives in Red Deer, said she watched loonie-sized ash fall during a family party on Friday evening as the Bald Range wildfire began racing toward the community. Within hours the fire grew from 50 to more than 100 square kilometres, closing a 15-kilometre gap to Summerland and prompting her relatives to grab photos and documents before fleeing south to Penticton.
The fire has since shown little further growth, largely because it reached the shoreline of Okanagan Lake and due to containment work by BC Wildfire Service crews protecting homes on Summerland's outskirts. RCMP are working to confirm a report that one person died in the fire, and the B.C. government has cited "significant structure loss" after declaring a provincial state of emergency on Saturday.
About 10,000 homes are under evacuation orders across Summerland, Peachland, the regional districts of Okanagan-Similkameen and Central Okanagan, and Penticton Indian Band lands, with roughly 3,300 more homes under evacuation alert. Firefighting helicopters were diverted to rescue more than 50 residents trapped by the flames, and a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Summerland was destroyed after staff escaped with animals in their care.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the BC Wildfire Service.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.