Residents warned to prepare for changes when returning home after a wildfire

More wildfire evacuees in British Columbia are being allowed to return home Saturday morning, as emergency officials downgrade evacuation orders to alerts around the community of Clinton.

The changeover begins at 8:00 a.m., with the bulk of the updated alert area stretching north and east of Clinton, along Highway 97 to past 70 Mile House.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says areas west of the town, from the Kelly Lake substation, north to the district’s border, remain under evacuation orders due to the continued threat posed by the Pear Lake wildfire.

In a special update posted to YouTube, Clinton Mayor Roland Stanke said even though people are being allowed to go home, they will be returning to a community that has been profoundly affected, with the services people normally rely on limited or unavailable, and the threat of wildfire season still looming.

Meanwhile, a re-entry guide posted by the District of Summerland, aimed at Trout Creek residents, warns that the community may have changed dramatically, with blackened trees, smoke in the air, and missing landmarks.

Houses are seen overlooking Okanagan Lake as smoke from the Bald Range wildfire blankets the area, in Penticton, B.C., on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. The Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia’s south Okanagan region has forced 20,000 people out of their homes in the Peachland and Summerland areas.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Evacuation orders for parts of Summerland and Peachland on the shores of Okanagan Lake are slowly starting to lift, about a week after the Bald Range fire forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

The guide says some homes and properties don’t have power, and the district is still under a boil-water notice with water restrictions.

It suggests that people return home with a kit that includes a flashlight, cleaning supplies, a first-aid kit, and a camera to record the property’s condition for insurance purposes.

Officials have also warned those returning that there are several bears in the Trout Creek area and residents need to dispose of their spoiled food properly. 

The Bald Range wildfire near Summerland is one of about 120 fires burning in the province, with 38 per cent of those labelled as out of control. 

Thousands of residents are still out of their homes, with 45 separate evacuation orders issued for numerous fires burning in the southern one-third of the province. 

B.C.’s fire season started fast and early, and already about 400 buildings have been destroyed, including about 230 homes on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve that were lost in the Bradley Creek wildfire. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2026. 

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