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    Summerland evacuees face lineups, uncertainty — and an outpouring of help

    soreceryBy No Comments8 Mins Read
    Walt Nickerson, a Summerland resident, leaves the grocery store in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
    Walt Nickerson, a Summerland resident, leaves the grocery store in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

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    PENTICTON — Walt Nickerson pushed a cart of groceries and supplies out of the Real Canadian Superstore on Monday evening, three days into a life he hadn’t planned for.

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    He left Summerland after a 1:30 a.m. call Saturday from his landlord telling him everyone was fleeing. Running on 2½ hours of sleep, he pulled into Penticton around 3, set a chair beside his vehicle in the parking lot of the casino where he works, poured a coffee and waited for the doors to open at 10. When they did, staff told the evacuees in the lot that breakfast, lunch and supper were on the house — and opened it to everyone.

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    “A lot of places did that,” he said. “That was phenomenal.”

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    The support has come in pieces, each with its own line to stand in: a $112 food voucher, a $150 clothing allowance, $50 for hygiene essentials, a two-night motel stay. The food voucher, he said, doesn’t go far.

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    “That is never enough in today’s society,” he said. But the groceries in his cart would last him a week or more, and he had to eat anyway. “That’s kind of a free bit of money.”

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    Story continues below

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    1. Smoke but no fires seen over Summerland as seen from Sun Rock Lookout in Naramata in Penticton the evening of Aug. 10, 2026.
      Smoke over Summerland as seen from Sun Rock Lookout in Naramata in Penticton the evening of Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    2. Volunteers help people affected by the Summerland fires wait at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Volunteers help people affected by the Summerland fires at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    3. Goats outside as people affected by the Summerland fires wait at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Goats outside as people affected by the Summerland fires wait at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    4. Goats that were evacuated with their owner chow down on the
      Goats that were evacuated with their owner chow down on the “Evacuees welcome” sign outside the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    5. Volunteers help people affected by the Summerland fires at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Volunteers help people affected by the Summerland fires at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    6. Sharon Poulette and Rusty make their way inside the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Sharon Poulette and Rusty make their way inside the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    7. People affected by the Summerland fires wait at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026.
      People affected by the Summerland fires wait at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    8. Walt Nickerson, a Summerland resident, leaves the grocery store in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Walt Nickerson, a Summerland resident, leaves the grocery store in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    9. People stroll and play near Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
      People stroll and play near Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    10. Police road block on Hwy 97 in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Police road block on Hwy 97 in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    11. People stroll near Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
      People stroll near Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    12. People on Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton, on Aug. 10, 2026.
      People on Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton, on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    13. Police road block on Hwy 97 in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Police road block on Hwy 97 in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    14. People walk back to their cars after shopping in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026.
      People walk back to their cars after shopping in Penticton on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    15. summerland fire
      The wildfire that has forced the evacuation of and created a state of emergency for Summerland.B.C. Wildfire Service
    16. A pair of B.C. Wildfire Service firefighters tackle the Bald Range fire on the night of Aug 7/8, 2026.
      A pair of B.C. Wildfire Service firefighters tackle the Bald Range fire on the night of Aug 7/8, 2026.Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service
    17. Image of the Bald Range Fire on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Image of the Bald Range Fire on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service /Government of B.C.
    18. Image of the Bald Range Fire on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Image of the Bald Range Fire on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service /Government of B.C.
    19. Image of the Bald Range Fire on Aug. 10, 2026.
      Image of the Bald Range Fire on Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service /Government of B.C.
    20. B.C. Wildfire Service do overnight suppression on the Bald Range fire near Summerland on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026.
      B.C. Wildfire Service do overnight suppression on the Bald Range fire near Summerland on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service
    21. summerland wildfire
      The wildfire that has forced the evacuation of and created a state of emergency for Summerland.Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service
    22. The wildfire that has forced the evacuation of and created a state of emergency for Summerland.
      The wildfire that has forced the evacuation of and created a state of emergency for Summerland.B.C. Wildfire Service
    23. Volunteers Mario Majano (Pres., JCI Penticton) and Paula Murray outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre
      Volunteers Mario Majano (Pres., JCI Penticton) and Paula Murray outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    24. Volunteers Chris and Cathy Terris cook outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre
      Volunteers Chris and Cathy Terris cook outside Penticton Trade and Convention CentrePhoto by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    25. Volunteers, including Paula Murray (centre) outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026.
      Volunteers, including Paula Murray (centre) outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    26. Tom Joseph with Molly, where people can get food, clothing and other help at Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026.
      Tom Joseph with Molly, where people can get food, clothing and other help at Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    27. VANCOUVER, BC - August 11, 2026 - People can get food, clothing and other help at Penticton Trade and Convention Centre in Penticton, BC, August 110, 2026. (Arlen Redekop / Postmedia staff photo) (Story by Oksana Shtohryn) [PNG Merlin Archive]
      VANCOUVER, BC – August 11, 2026 – People can get food, clothing and other help at Penticton Trade and Convention Centre in Penticton, BC, August 110, 2026. (Arlen Redekop / Postmedia staff photo) (Story by Oksana Shtohryn) [PNG Merlin Archive]Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    28. A firefighting helicopter passes over Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026.
      A firefighting helicopter passes over Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    29. Volunteers outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026.
      Volunteers outside Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on August 11, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG
    30. Smoke over Summerland as seen from Sun Rock Lookout in Naramata in Penticton the evening of Aug. 10, 2026.
      Smoke over Summerland as seen from Sun Rock Lookout in Naramata in Penticton the evening of Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

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    Nickerson is one of more than 12,000 people ordered out of Summerland — the largest evacuation in B.C. this year — after the Bald Range wildfire broke out about 15 kilometres west of the town shortly after 5 p.m. Friday. It exploded within hours, running toward Okanagan Lake and reaching an estimated 50 square kilometres by that night.

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    By Tuesday it had grown to more than 150 square kilometres and was still burning out of control, with officials warning of continued hot, dry weather and difficult fire behaviour in the days ahead.

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    The fire has killed one person. RCMP say an 80-year-old woman died Friday while trying to leave the Meadow Valley area, northwest of Summerland. Premier David Eby declared a provincial state of emergency on Aug. 8, saying homes had been lost. Officials have not said how many properties have burned.

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    Across B.C., nearly 22,000 people are under evacuation orders.

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    For the thousands driven out of Summerland, the days since have been a grind of lineups and unanswered questions — where they’ll sleep, whether they still have homes. What has carried many through, they say, is each other: the strangers, volunteers and businesses that have handed out meals, beds and supplies while the official system strains to catch up.

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    When the fire broke out, Penticton was full of summer tourists, Diane Bell, an emergency support services volunteer said, and there was nowhere to put evacuees at first. Some slept in their cars for several nights before staff could begin moving people into better accommodation.

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    Inside the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, where filming is not allowed and cameras stay at the door, the workings of a displaced town run in a single room: medical staff moving among evacuees, insurance representatives sitting with policyholders, support workers guiding people through forms, and constant lines for registration, for food, for answers. Fresh bottled water is stationed throughout.

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    Mario Majano, a volunteer with Junior Chamber International Penticton, has been there since Friday, part of a rotation staffing the room 24 hours a day for people who couldn’t check in anywhere else, or can’t sleep, and want a coffee or a late-night bite.

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    People come looking for a bit of everything, he said — food, toothbrushes, shampoo, a place to sit. With so many evacuees arriving with dogs and cats, PetSmart and a local pet resort dropped off food and supplies for the animals, too.

     

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