The mayor of Summerland, B.C., says his community has a “long road to recovery” after a fast-moving wildfire chased thousands from their homes earlier this month. But Doug Holmes says he’s confident residents are going to support each other as many of them get news that they can return to the community. “It’s going to be tough, but I know we’re going to get through this the same way that we got through the evacuation,” he said in a video posted online on Tuesday. “We’re going to help each other. We’re going to be kind and just pull together as you know Summerlanders do.” Regional officials also provided their first tally of the destruction caused by the Bald Range fire, saying 150 structures were destroyed or lost. Holmes said what people are coming home to will look different depending on where they live. “Some neighbourhoods will look exactly the same as when they left. Other neighbourhoods, you’re going to see that some of your neighbours have lost homes,” he said. “In some places you’re going to see the fire has come right up into your backyard and your house was saved by our firefighters (who) were absolutely heroic.” Most of the 12,000 or so residents were cleared to return to their homes on Tuesday more than 10 days after they were chased out by one of the fastest-moving wildfires the province has ever seen. Evacuation orders covering much of the community were replaced with evacuation alerts warning residents to remain ready to leave at short notice. About 530 properties are still under evacuation order as crews work to clear dangerous trees, remove debris and restore power to some areas, the mayor said. Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for the District of Summerland, said on Monday that the fire destroyed or damaged about 40 structures in Summerland and more than 100 others in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, where the community of Faulder was almost erased. Statt told a district livestream that 150 structures burned is a preliminary number and damage assessments typically increase over time. “Everyone we can get a hold of, or has contacted us back, we’ve had conversations with. We have counselling available for those individuals,” he said. “We go on-site with them if they wish to do so, and if they don’t wish to do so, we offer photographs or other things for their use.” Denise Trudeau and her family spent the last 36 years creating a home in Faulder. She said the property started out as an affectionately described “dumpy” trailer to live in, and a shed for horses’ tack, but it grew to include a riding ring and then a home with a deck where decades of memories were made. Trudeau said she’s seen photos and videos that tell her what they have built is gone. “I did see videos of people driving by our property and I did see pictures and it’s pretty much confirmed in my mind … it’s like the house just went into a puff of smoke and the barn, everything. It’s gone,” she said in an interview on Tuesday. Faulder was one of the first communities forced to leave as the fire roared toward Okanagan Lake on Aug. 7, fuelled by tinder-dry conditions and strong winds. It sprinted the 15 kilometres to the lake in a few hours, sweeping over dozens of homes in Meadow Valley and Faulder, leaving little but blackened foundations. Trudeau said her property was still under an evacuation order and it’s unknown when she would be able to return. She said she and her husband left in a panic with some clothes and important documents as the fire got closer, and they were able to safely evacuate their horses. “It was so fast. It was like a tornado coming. It just — you wouldn’t have believed how fast that came,” she said. Faulder is a community of about 200 residents and Trudeau said the self-reliant group is doing what it can to support each other even if they can’t be together yet. Online groups provide the chance to connect and tell their neighbours that they are safe, she said. “So, we’ve checked in on each other,” Trudeau said. “We’re not in a position really to help each other financially, but we’re at least able to connect on Facebook and we will of course connect physically once we’re allowed to be out there.” Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said at a wildfire update on Tuesday that about 2,100 properties remain on evacuation orders across B.C. Statt said the decision on when to lift orders was made based on factors, including whether utilities are ready, if there are dangerous trees in the way, or if there are concerns about slope stability. Erick Thompson, a spokesperson for the regional district, said during the livestream that there are also stories of firefighters being able to protect some homes. “What I saw in Summerland, in particular, was I saw homes where the hills around it were blackened, but the homes were there, and they were blackened because the fire was coming down, and the firefighters saved those structures,” he said. “That’s an incredible, incredible story.” Trudeau said she has every intention of rebuilding once she’s allowed to return. She said people have suggested she may have to leave the community. “It’s just not ever going to happen for me and my husband.” This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published Aug. 18, 2026.
