- The Bradley Creek wildfire more than doubled in size over the weekend, prompting new evacuation orders and forcing thousands of people from their homes.
- Affected communities are in the northern Okanagan Lake area, where evacuation orders were issued for the Okanagan Indian Band, Splatsin First Nation and Spallumcheen.
- The BCWS attributed the fire’s growth to changing weather over the past 24 hours, including a dynamic weather event with erratic winds and gusts of up to 80 km/h in the Okanagan region.
- The province saw over 2,200+ lightning strikes and 22 suspected lightning-caused wildfires in the last 24 hours, with 10 still classified as Out of Control.
- During a Sunday news conference, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) Director of Wildfire Operations Cliff Chapman said more than 5,000 people across British Columbia had been evacuated in the previous 24 hours as wildfire activity intensified.
The Bradley Creek wildfire has rapidly expanded, now covering approximately 26 square kilometers, leading to evacuation orders affecting thousands in the Okanagan region.12
Evacuations were mandated for communities including the Okanagan Indian Band and Splatsin First Nation as conditions worsened over the weekend.34
During a Sunday news conference, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) Director Cliff Chapman reported that over 5,000 people were evacuated in just 24 hours due to intensified wildfire activity.568
Chapman noted, “We are seeing fuel conditions that we have never seen before. We are seeing fire behaviour and fire growth that we have never experienced in B.C. up until this point.”
The BCWS attributed the fire's rapid growth to a dynamic weather event that caused erratic winds and gusts up to 80 km/h, complicating containment efforts.
The agency reported over 2,200 lightning strikes across the province, resulting in 22 suspected lightning-caused wildfires in the last 24 hours, with 10 classified as Out of Control.7
The affected communities are located at the northern end of Okanagan Lake, where the situation remains critical as firefighters work to manage the blaze.
“More than 5,000 people across B.C. were evacuated in the previous 24 hours as BCWS Director Cliff Chapman described fuel conditions and fire behaviour as unprecedented in the province. Erratic gusts up to 80 km/h, over 2,200 lightning strikes and 22 suspected lightning-caused wildfires, 10 still out of control, are challenging containment.”
