Wildfire crews fight weather, terrain on growing blaze near Summerland, B.C.

SUMMERLAND — The British Columbia Wildfire Service says activity has picked up at the Bald Range blaze nearby Summerland due to persistent hot and dry conditions.

The service says in an update that winds reaching 30 kilometres an hour are expected to keep the blaze active, with “stubborn fire behaviour” and difficult terrain southern and western portions of the blaze.

The service says crews are using air tankers as well as small-scale controlled burns in some places to try to contain the flames.

The fire has grown to about 227 square kilometres, although most of the evacuation orders for the Summerland area have been downgraded to alerts.