RCMP confirms one death as Bald Range fire grows and evacuation orders remain
Bald Range fire.
Submitted photo.
OKANAGAN — One person has died in connection with the Bald Range wildfire as thousands of properties remain under evacuation order and the fire continues to grow across the Okanagan.
RCMP confirmed Sunday that an 80-year-old Meadow Valley woman died while attempting to evacuate her home with a family member because of the wildfire.
Police said the woman reportedly died suddenly and investigators believe her death was a result of the wildfire. The BC Coroners Service is investigating to determine the nature of her death. No other fatalities had been reported to police at the time of the RCMP announcement.
The confirmation came as emergency officials continued dealing with widespread evacuations from Summerland and surrounding areas.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen issued a new evacuation order at 11 a.m. Sunday for the Brent Lake and Shingle Creek area in Electoral Area F.
In its 5:45 p.m. Sunday update, the RDOS reported 451 properties within the regional district under evacuation order and 1,065 under alert. All 5,688 properties in the District of Summerland were under evacuation order, along with 38 Penticton Indian Band properties. Another 1,082 Penticton Indian Band properties were under alert.
Together, those Sunday figures accounted for 6,177 properties under evacuation order across the RDOS, Summerland and Penticton Indian Band jurisdictions.
That is not a complete count of properties affected by Bald Range evacuation orders. Orders and alerts also remain in effect in the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area and Peachland.
The evacuation footprint changed again Monday.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said at 2:27 p.m. that evacuation-order boundaries had been realigned and the property at 6000 Sanderson Avenue in Peachland had been added to the order. Minor changes were also made to evacuation-alert boundaries.
Officials reported overnight growth on the northwestern edge of the wildfire toward the Regional District of Central Okanagan boundary and said similar fire growth to Sunday was expected. Peachland Fire and Rescue and BC Wildfire Service were working on structure-protection plans for priority areas, including homes and critical infrastructure.
Access to evacuation-order areas remains restricted while firefighters, emergency crews and assessment teams work in affected areas.
The RDOS says people seeking temporary access to evacuated areas must use its temporary access permit process. An application does not guarantee entry, and residents are being told to wait for approval rather than travelling to roadblocks or checkpoints.
Penticton continues to serve as a host community for evacuees.
The city said Sunday evening that additional evacuees were arriving as evacuation orders expanded and encouraged Emergency Support Services guests who could find alternate accommodation to leave the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre after registering, helping preserve capacity for new arrivals and those with the most immediate needs.
The Princess Margaret Secondary School comfort centre remains open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., offering washrooms, showers, seating, water and light snacks, air-conditioned space and recreation areas. The Penticton Trade and Convention Centre remains an evacuation reception centre.
Penticton itself was not under a Bald Range evacuation alert or order in the city's latest published update Sunday evening.
Emergency officials continue to urge residents to follow evacuation orders and road closures and check official emergency maps for their individual properties as fire conditions and evacuation boundaries change.
Penticton is taking steps to preserve space for incoming wildfire evacuees as expanding Bald Range evacuation orders continue to put pressure on emergency support services in the city.