BC Wildfire Service

People forced from their homes by the Quilpituk Creek wildfire in Central Okanagan West are a step closer to returning home after the fire was classified as held.

Premier David Eby is scheduled to hold a media availability Wednesday afternoon in Penticton with local officials as wildfire response efforts remain active across the Okanagan.

Clearer skies overnight contributed to increased activity at the Bald Range wildfire as exceptionally dry fuels and shifting winds challenged crews Tuesday, Aug. 11.

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.

The fight against the 15,590-hectare Bald Range wildfire is a “monumental task,” BC Wildfire Service incident commander Hugh Murdoch said during a Monday night emergency briefing, with crews facing a vast fireground and active fire behaviour around Summerland.

Penticton is asking some wildfire evacuees already receiving support in the city to relocate from the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre as additional displaced residents arrive.

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.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says it will be conducting small-scale ignitions at the perimeter of the Quilpituk Creek wildfire to establish control lines.

The Bradley Creek wildfire near Vernon is now classified as being held, according to the BC Wildfire Service, as evacuation restrictions ease in parts of the North Okanagan.

An evacuation alert has been lifted for La Casa residents as a wildfire in the Fintry area continues to burn.

Officials in British Columbia warn wildfires in the northeast and southwest are expected to persist despite rain and cooler temperatures this week.