Thousands of B.C. residents displaced by wildfires are being allowed to return home as evacuation orders are being downgraded to alerts. In Summerland, part of the evacuation order has been lifted, permitting around 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood to be revisited by residents. The Pear Lake wildfire area, including the entire Village of Clinton, saw over 400 properties removed from evacuation order status. A staged re-entry process is in place for the Quilpituk wildfire, affecting approximately 2,400 households.
The B.C. Wildfire Service reports that more than 100 wildfires are active across the province. Premier David Eby has dispatched specialized search-and-rescue teams for damage assessments. The largest ongoing wildfire is the Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton, covering a vast area of 1,574 square kilometers. The Brunswick Creek fire complex in the Fraser Canyon near Boston Bar spans over 700 square kilometers.
Highway 97 has partially reopened with restricted daytime hours due to the Bald Range wildfire, while Highway 1 north of Hope and Highway 97 north of Cache Creek remain closed. Air quality alerts are in effect for several regions, with a very high health risk warning issued for the Fraser Valley. Residents are urged to monitor their properties for any damage before returning home.