Early stages of wildfire recovery for Okanagan Indian Band
Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Westside Road is open to local residents amid an evacuation order zone. (Kerri Cooke Facebook)
An evacuation order remains in place along Westside Road near Vernon two weeks since it was issued due to the Bradley Creek wildfire. (BCWS map)
The long road to recovery is beginning as hundreds of people have lost homes to wildfires on the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB).
The Bradley Creek wildfire continues to burn, but remains held at 2,658 hectares above Westside Road near Vernon.
While Westside Road has reopened to local residents, a large evacuation order remains in the area, therefore motorists cannot stop while travelling.
“In a very short period of time, the Bradley Creek Wildfire response has moved from an immediate emergency, through active response and now into the early stages of recovery,” the band said Tuesday, Aug. 18. “OKIB is increasingly focused on hazard abatement, property access and establishing the supports that will be needed as recovery moves forward.”
Significant work is happening throughout the affected area, and access to more areas can change as work progresses.
Evacuation Orders remain in place for affected properties between Komasket Park and Irish Creek Road. Side roads and property access points also remain closed while safety assessments and hazard-abatement work continue. Security teams will be on site 24/7 while hazard abatement is ongoing.
Motorists travelling Westside Road should follow all traffic controls, expect periodic delays and remain on the main road when passing through the affected area. Where possible, motorists are encouraged to continue using the southern route.
Crews are conducting danger-tree assessments and falling, assessing damaged propane and fuel systems, and identifying other hazards that must be addressed before access to affected properties can safely resume.
“This work needs to occur before remaining evacuation orders can be reconsidered, and residents can begin returning to those properties,” the band said.
Meanwhile, OKIB is contacting Certificate of Possession (CP) holders where damage to their properties has been confirmed.
For properties occupied by renters or leaseholders, the CP holder will communicate information about property damage to those residents so they can begin determining their next steps. Non-member residents should continue to contact their landlord, property manager or CP holder for information specific to their property.
“OKIB recognizes the significance of this information for people who have been waiting to learn the condition of their homes and properties.”
Moving into recovery, over the coming days, the focus will continue shifting toward safe property access and the individual recovery needs of affected households.
Once hazard-abatement work has been completed, affected property holders will be able to begin assessing their properties and determining what comes next.
Depending on the level of impact, that may include returning home, arranging insurance assessments, beginning cleanup or identifying temporary and longer-term supports.
OKIB EOC is also establishing a Community Resiliency Centre at the Schubert Centre in Vernon to support the transition from emergency response into recovery.
The centre will be available to OKIB members and non-member residents and will bring together information and services from government, health and non-government agencies.
“Emergency response work is continuing, and recovery will happen in stages,” the band advises.
