Wildfire forces evacuation of town in top Canadian wine region

Ari Altstedter, Bloomberg News on Aug 8, 2026

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Authorities ordered a town of 12,000 people in one of Canada’s top wine-producing regions to evacuate as an uncontrolled wildfire spreads.

Authorities ordered the town of Summerland in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley to be evacuated on Saturday morning as the Bald Range wildfire advanced toward the community. The fire, first reported Friday afternoon, quickly grew and is now spread over 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres), according to the latest estimates.

Last month, a blaze in the eastern Canadian province of Ontario produced smoke that darkened skies and worsened air quality as far south as Washington, D.C. The Bald Range fire in British Columbia is similarly the product of hot and dry summer weather, while strong winds have contributed to its fast rate of growth.

Located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) inland from Vancouver and almost 500 kilometers northeast of Seattle, the Okanagan Valley produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its warm and sunny climate.

Firefighters, helicopters and air tankers have been dispatched to battle the blaze, authorities said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media Saturday that the federal government “stands ready to help and support the government of British Columbia in these efforts.”