Nearly 150 properties classified as destroyed after Bald Range wildfire
More than half of the properties assessed in Electoral Area F were classified as destroyed
View of west flank from within fire perimeter Aug 19, 2026
Photo: BCWS
Nearly 150 properties in and around Summerland have been classified as destroyed following the Bald Range wildfire, with the heaviest losses recorded in Electoral Area F.
New rapid damage assessment figures released Friday by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen show 105 of 204 properties assessed in Electoral Area F were classified as destroyed. The area includes Faulder and Meadow Valley, two of the rural communities hit hard by the fast-moving wildfire.
Another two Area F properties were deemed unsafe and five were placed under restricted use. Four could not be accessed during the assessments and 12 were identified as empty lots.
The damage was less widespread within Summerland, where 42 of 799 properties assessed were classified as destroyed. Two were deemed unsafe, seven were placed under restricted use, nine could not be accessed and 26 were identified as empty lots.
Altogether, 147 properties received a destroyed classification in the two jurisdictions. More than half of the properties assessed in Electoral Area F were classified as destroyed, compared with about five per cent of those assessed in Summerland.
The figures are the most detailed official accounting so far of the damage left by the Bald Range wildfire, but they remain preliminary. The RDOS said the numbers reflect information available as of Aug. 19 and may change as additional assessments and information come in.
They also provide a clearer picture than the earlier estimate of approximately 150 structures damaged or destroyed, including about 110 in Electoral Area F and 40 in Summerland. The two counts measure different things: the earlier estimate referred to structures, while the new figures are based on property-level rapid damage assessments. The RDOS has not released a final count of homes destroyed.
The Bald Range wildfire was reported Aug. 7 and quickly forced widespread evacuations. A BC Emergency Alert issued the following day ordered residents in Summerland, Faulder and surrounding areas to leave immediately as the fire threatened homes and communities.
The wildfire has also claimed one life. RCMP said an 80-year-old Meadow Valley woman died while attempting to leave her home with a family member, and police believed her death resulted from the wildfire. The BC Coroners Service was investigating.
Re-entry has expanded gradually as officials assess roads, utilities and other hazards. Summerland downgraded another portion of its evacuation order Friday, allowing more residents to return home, although a number of properties remain under order. A property at 23000 Gallaugher Street in Electoral Area F was also downgraded to an evacuation alert Friday afternoon.
As of Aug. 19, 7,093 properties remained subject to either an evacuation alert or evacuation order, including 5,110 in Summerland and 1,983 in the RDOS. Emergency Support Services had recorded 6,864 registrations representing approximately 15,031 household members as recovery and damage assessment work continued.
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