Province secures hotel rooms for Summerland wildfire evacuees

Aug 11, 2026 | 10:30 AM

The province has taken steps to secure accommodation for Summerland residents forced from their homes.

The B.C. Government said it had secured over 1,000 hotel rooms in Penticton, West Kelowna and Kelowna for people displaced due to the Bald Range wildfire, adding it had more blocks booked for when those spaces become available.

Group lodging was also available in those communities, with nearly 1,000 beds available.

People needing assistance finding a hotel room or getting a referral to group lodging can visit the reception centres at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre or Westbank Lions Community Hall, or by calling the B.C. Evacuee Helpline at 1-800-387-4258.

Evacuees are reminded to sign up with Emergency Support Services to streamline the process for getting assistance.

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The province noted the Evacuee Helpline had a record number of calls over the previous weekend and had since increased its staff capacity 20-fold.

ServiceBC, which operates the helpline, was also dispatching mobile teams to Penticton and Kelowna to further help displaced people.

As of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, August 11, the Bald Range wildfire was still estimated at 15,590 hectares in size and classified as Out of Control and a Wildfire of Note, indicating it could still spread beyond control lines.

The B.C. Wildfire Service stated it was unable to make much progress on fighting the fire overnight Monday due to exceptionally dry fuels that were easily set alight.

Heavy smoke was still expected at the scene of the fire and through the Okanagan valley Tuesday, with reduced visibility and limited aviation operations. However, the smoke can also moderate fire behaviour by limiting direct sunlight and heat on the surface.

The BCWS said 100 firefighters from Mexico were coming in to fight the Bald Range wildfire Tuesday, bringing the number of people on the ground up to 193. Crews would be focusing on establishing contingency lines in the Fish Lake and Meadow Valley areas, building off the over 14 kilometres of machine guard established Monday.

The firefighters were being supported by 14 helicopters, 36 pieces of heavy equipment, and undisclosed number of structure protection personnel, and an Incident Management Team.

by Liam Verster

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