With Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie (L) at Garnet Valley Ranch [credit: Leeann Froese]
As a wine writer, I’ve spent a lot of time in Summerland. It’s where I often stay when I am in the Okanagan Valley and a place I have regularly recommended to readers as a base for exploring the region. Over the years, it has become familiar in a more personal way, through the wineries I return to, the people I have met, and the friends who have made their homes there.
That familiarity makes the events of the past several days particularly difficult to watch. The Bald Range wildfire has forced the evacuation of the entire population of Summerland, a community of approximately 12,000 people. The province has described the fire as one of the fastest and most aggressive wildfires it has seen, and it remains out of control. With hot, dry conditions and wind continuing to challenge firefighters, the situation remains dynamic. Power and water had also been shut down.
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