B.C. Wildfire Service incident commander Hugh Murdoch speaking to the media (Image Credit: Screenshot from news conference)

By Vernon Matters Staff

Evacuees await answers

B.C. bringing in specialized teams to assess Bald Range wildfire damage

Aug 13, 2026 | 8:00 AM

B.C. Wildfire Service incident commander Hugh Murdoch says there is still significant danger in the Bald Range wildfire, making it difficult for crews to quickly determine which homes were destroyed and which remain standing in the 184.5-square-kilometre blaze.

Speaking at a media briefing in Penticton Wednesday, Murdoch said the fire can linger and flare up again even after the main fire front has moved through.

“There is the potential for fire to linger and come back. We don’t leave as quickly as the fire front does. We have to maintain a presence over a very large area,” Murdoch said.

He says crews understand evacuees desperately want to know whether their homes and properties are still standing, but getting those answers safely takes time.

Murdoch stressed that the situation remains dangerous, with active fire burning in multiple directions.

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“To be abundantly clear, there is very much danger. There is active fire burning in many directions. It isn’t a matter of finding small hidden hot spots,” he said.

That ongoing danger is delaying some property assessments and leaving evacuees waiting for confirmation about their homes.

B.C. Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Kelly Greene says the province is bringing in Heavy Urban Search and Rescue teams to help with rapid damage assessments once areas are safe enough to enter.

Greene says officials understand evacuees are desperate for information, but homeowners should hear directly from officials if their property has been destroyed.

“Having that call is one of the most devastating moments of a person’s life, and so the last thing I would want is somebody to have the shock of finding out on social media or on television about their home being lost,” Greene said.

Greene says local or district officials will handle those notifications and they need to be delivered sensitively.

Premier David Eby also spoke at the Penticton briefing Wednesday after meeting with evacuees and emergency crews.

Eby says the speed of the Bald Range wildfire created enormous challenges for responders and may point to a changing reality for wildfire response in B.C.

“This may represent a new normal in terms of the speed at which these fires can move,” Eby said.

The Bald Range wildfire has forced more than 20,000 people from their homes. Officials continue to warn that conditions remain dynamic and dangerous, with some areas still unsafe to access.

by Vernon Matters Staff

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