B.C. Bald Range wildfire shows little new growth after forcing thousands from homes

The Bald Range wildfire that forced evacuees across B.C. communities to flee has shown little new growth since exploding to more than 100 square kilometres on Saturday, as BC Wildfire Service crews work on containment lines and home protection.

Dawn Wertz, now living in Red Deer but originally from Summerland, was celebrating her niece's 21st birthday at a party Friday evening when ashes the size of loonies began raining down at her sister's home. She and her relatives are now among thousands of evacuees. "The ashes were falling on us when we were outside for the party," she said. "They were loonie-sized, and that was when it was only 50 hectares."

Wertz and her family watched plumes of flame race down a mountain late Friday before grabbing pictures and important documents to flee south for Penticton. Within a few hours, the fire measured 50 square kilometres before doubling in size again as it closed the 15-kilometre distance from its ignition point to Summerland.

About 10,000 homes are now under evacuation orders in Summerland, Peachland, the regional districts of Okanagan-Similkameen and Central Okanagan, and Penticton Indian Band lands. Another 3,300 or so homes are under evacuation alerts stretching south past Penticton.

RCMP say they are working to confirm a report that one person died in the fire west of Summerland. The B.C. government says there has been "significant structure loss" and declared a provincial state of emergency Saturday. An Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society post said the fire swept through their facility so fast they could only escape with their own pets and animals in their care, watching on security cameras as flames engulfed the compound. The cause of the fire is under investigation.