Tag: Penticton

Wildfire smoke brought very high-risk air quality to the South Okanagan Thursday morning as an orange air-quality warning was in effect for the region.

Premier David Eby said B.C. may need to rethink how it protects communities from increasingly intense and unpredictable wildfires.

B.C. officials are providing a provincial update Tuesday at 11 a.m. as major wildfires in the Okanagan have forced thousands of people from their homes and prompted widespread evacuation orders and alerts.

The chief of the Penticton Indian Band is urging the provincial and federal governments to prioritize wildfire preparedness to help protect communities across B.C., including those in the Okanagan threatened by increasingly large fires.

Officials are providing a live update on the escalating wildfire situation in the South Okanagan.

The Bald Range wildfire grew to an estimated 15,590 hectares Monday morning, according to BC Wildfire Service, while evacuation orders issued by local authorities kept thousands of South Okanagan residents away from their homes.

Penticton’s mayor said officials are watching the wind direction as the out-of-control Bald Range wildfire prompts evacuation orders and alerts for nearby areas.

As the Bald Range wildfire continues to burn, Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee hopes to shed some light on the current situation.