SUMMERLAND, B.C. — Wineries in the Okanagan are counting heavy financial losses after the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire and related blazes prompted mass evacuations and shuttered tasting rooms during the region’s busiest weeks.
Peak season interrupted
Vintners who depend on summer visitation describe August as their most important time of year. For many, tourist trade from June through September generates the bulk of annual revenue and supports seasonal staff.
Mike Stohler, who runs a winery in Summerland with his wife, was allowed back on to his property with a temporary access pass nearly a week after being ordered to leave. He found most of his vineyard intact, although stored posts and some materials were burned and irrigation filters were plugged.
“A tourism season is four months — June, July, August, September. That is our prime month. That’s where we make 80 per cent of our income in those months, and now we’ve been shut in the middle of August, so we’re still not back to the property,”
Stohler said he expects the rest of August will likely be “a wash,” and that prolonged evacuation orders and the provincial state of emergency mean visitors are unlikely to return while fires continue to burn.
Community strain and appeals for support
Another owner, Ron Kubek of Lightning Rock winery, said he felt fortunate to see his estate standing after re-entering the area, but he tempered relief with grief over community losses. Evacuation orders have affected thousands in nearby towns, and one person died amid the evacuations.
“Every bottle, meal and online order helps keep someone working while our community gets back on its feet,”
Kubek encouraged British Columbians to choose a local wine or cider at dinner or make online purchases to support workers and businesses grappling with immediate revenue shortfalls.
Scale of displacement and immediate impacts
More than 20,000 people in Summerland and Peachland were forced to flee on Aug. 7 after the Bald Range wildfire flared overnight. Evacuation orders tied to the Bald Range and the Quilpituk Creek fires have been downgraded in recent days for some areas, enabling partial returns, but smoke and road closures remain obstacles for visitors and staff.
The effects go beyond tasting-room closures. Seasonal employees face lost shifts, deliveries and agritourism bookings are cancelled, and the broader hospitality sector — restaurants, accommodations and transport operators — sees demand evaporate. Local wineries reported property access restrictions that delayed even basic recovery tasks such as clearing ash and assessing irrigation systems.
Short-term actions and what locals can do
- Buy local — order B.C. wine and cider online or request them when dining out.
- Check with individual wineries for temporary closures or virtual tasting events.
- Support seasonal workers and small businesses via local relief funds or community campaigns where available.
Local authorities have urged residents to watch official channels for updates on clean-air locations, evacuation status and road restrictions. Wineries that escaped major physical damage still face the problem of diminished foot traffic while smoke and containment efforts persist.
Economic ripple effects
The interruption to a concentrated four-month tourism window magnifies the financial hit. For many producers, cellar door sales and on-site hospitality account for a substantial share of yearly income; losing weeks in August can erase margins and push small operations into deeper financial stress.
| Metric | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Evacuated residents | 20,000+ across Summerland and Peachland |
| Critical tourism months | June–September (peak) |
| Primary concern | Loss of visitor income and staff shifts |
As the Okanagan assesses damage, vintners are balancing relief at limited physical loss in some vineyards with anxiety about cash flow and employee livelihoods. For now, appeals to buy local and to maintain support for hospitality workers are the most immediate ways residents and visitors can help.
The region’s recovery will depend on containment of the fires, improved air quality and reopened roads that allow tourists to return. Until those conditions are met, wineries say they will face a steep and uncertain economic road ahead.
