Summerland senior centre evacuees are 'safe and settled,' says Interior Health - West K News
Published 4:10 pm Thursday, August 13, 2026When the Bald Range wildfire hit and evacuated Summerland, 238 seniors from two care homes were impacted. The Bald Range Wildfire in Summerland currently spans more. . .
Published 4:10 pm Thursday, August 13, 2026When the Bald Range wildfire hit and evacuated Summerland, 238 seniors from two care homes were impacted. The Bald Range Wildfire in Summerland currently spans more than 19,000 hectares. The blaze first hit the town on Friday, Aug. 7, leading to the evacuation of almost 20,000 people. Forty-eight residents were evacuated from Dr. Andrew Pavillion and 190 residents from Summerland Seniors Village. “Interior Health (IH) recognizes how difficult and distressing the situation in Summerland has been for everyone affected, including the seniors who were evacuated from local care homes and their families,” it said to Black Press Media in an email. “Above all, our focus is on the safety of people in care. Seniors in long-term care have complex medical needs and often have cognitive challenges. We know the evacuations impact these individuals, and they are never undertaken lightly. ”Interior Health says all seniors are now relocated to care homes across the Okanagan and some are back with their families. It added that they are “safe and settled. ”Some medical staff from these care homes followed the residents to their new locations to continue providing care. IH has also deployed additional staff to support these residents. “We also have IH staff from other areas of our organization who have been deployed to support these patients and clients,” it said. “Patients with medical conditions who require special care are accounted for and being taken care of by our healthcare teams. ”It added that in a typical evacuation scenario, care homes usually have time during the alert period to prepare for an evacuation and communicate with families. This situation was more dynamic and left less room to plan. “Interior Health and West Coast Seniors Housing initially reached out to the primary contact for each evacuated resident to advise of the evacuation. To support families seeking information about their loved ones, including where they had been located, Interior Health established a dedicated call centre on Saturday, Aug. 9. ”For the remainder of this evacuation period, seniors can stay in the safe locations they have been relocated, said IH. When orders start to get rescinded, IH said it will plan to return the residents to their homes. Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for Summerland, said he doesn’t have any knowledge of any damage to these senior homes as of now. IH is also extending support to other evacuees. It expanded hours to its Urgent and Primary Care Centre in West Kelowna temporarily. “This has been an incredibly challenging time for residents, families, staff and the broader community. We want to thank our health-care teams, emergency responders and partners for their dedication and professionalism throughout this response. Their commitment to the people we serve has been extraordinary,” it said.