UPDATE: 11 p.m.
The northbound lanes of Highway 97 remain closed following a destructive blaze at a construction site in Penticton on Wednesday night.
A detour is in effect. However, the road is open to single-lane southbound.
The next update will be at 9 a.m. Friday. Check DriveBC for updates.
UPDATE: 4 p.m.
A Local State of Emergency has been declared in Penticton.
An evacuation order is now in effect for 10 properties, down from 12 earlier in the day, due to the massive fire that broke out at 453 Green Ave. W. on Wednesday night.
The properties under evacuation order are located at 435, 402, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 399, 375, 395 Green Ave. W.
Residents located outside the evacuation area can return home, the city said.
City officials are asking the public “to stay clear of the area to allow crews to continue their response efforts.”
“Any residents impacted by the fire, who may require Emergency Support Services, can call 250-486-1890 between 8:30 and 6 p.m.,” the city added.
UPDATE: 1 p.m.
An unstable crane likely won’t be removed from the scene of a massive construction site fire, with Highway 97 not fully reopened until June 1, according to the Penticton fire chief Mike Larsson.
Larsson joined Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield and RCMP Supt. Beth McAndie for a press conference on May 28, near the site of the Green Avenue fire from the night before.
Wafts of smoke and the shimmers of heat haze, as well as open flames, were still visible on the property well back from where the conference was held.
Fire crews have been unable to fully access the property due to the fire damage to the tower crane used for the construction of the three-storey long-term care facility on the site.
“Crews were on scene here with the base part of the fire until about 2:30-3 o’clock in the morning and the crews have been here ever since doing some hot spots,” said Larsson. “One of the things that’s making it difficult with the hot spots is again the crane. We can’t actually access the property in its entirety to put those spots out right now.”
As a result of the unstable crane, 12 homes in the area remain under evacuation order and Highway 97 has been kept closed down to a single alternating lane of traffic.
The city is awaiting experts to arrive on scene to investigate the crane before a plan can be devised and the site can be fully inspected. Larsson said that it will likely not be removed until Monday, June 1, at the earliest.
The investigation into the cause of the fire remains in its early stages, with criminality not yet ruled out.
Four additional homes under evacuation in the area were damaged by the fire, with the house closest to the property having substantial visible damage.
The fire chief thanked the neighbouring communities of Summerland, Kaleden, Naramata and the Penticton Indian Band and their departments for jumping in to immediately provide aid.
“We’re a collaborative bunch up here in the Okanagan, we’ve proven that over the years with wildfires, we’ve proven that with large structure fires and large incidents,” said Larsson. “It means the world to us that our neighbours would jump in and help.”
The under-construction nature of the property and the scale of the project complicated the fire, with Larsson noting there were a number of pieces of machinery on the site and extremely high heat being put out.
Larsson and McAndie both emphasized the importance of residents staying away from the area and from active fire scenes in general.
“These are dynamic situations and for the police, we would just want to make sure that everybody is safe, and so we know that being out of your home, you’re all greatly impacted and we ask for your patience,” said McAndie. “This is a scene when you’re asked to step back, do not cross the tape. There’s a reason it is there, it is for your safety.”
McAndie noted that in addition to the more than 60 firefighters on scene, more than 25 RCMP officers also responded, with some coming from Oliver and Kelowna. Officers handled the tactical evacuation of nearby properties as well as providing control over the surrounding area.
Aside from the direct and ongoing impacts from the fire, with June just days away and temperatures on the rise, the fire chief added that the blaze was an important reminder to residents to be ready to evacuate if needed.
“It’s a very good time to think about being prepared, we are coming into wildfire season up here in the Okanagan as we know it,” said Larsson. “The other thing is FireSmarting your home. Some of the fires that we had outside of the initial fire were due to cedars in yards and dry vegetation.”
Bloomfield thanked the first responders for their efforts, as well as those from the neighbouring communities, and emphasized that the city was working to assist those who had been forced out of their homes.
“Our first thoughts go to the people who’ve been evacuated to make sure that they’re getting the services that they need and that they’re getting the help that they need,” said Bloomfield.
The mayor also added that the news of the fire was greatly disappointing and that the impact will be particularly felt in a couple years when the facility was meant to be online and the 200 beds available.
News of the fire also reached the legislature, where B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne expressed her own sadness.
“I know just how needed these long-term care beds are in the Penticton area,” said Osborne. “For anyone who is on the waitlist right now and was anticipating moving into the site when it was scheduled to be ready in 2028, very very, devestating news. I know our minister of infrastructure, Bowen Ma, will be very active on this, to be able to restart and do what’s needed on this project.”
Osborne said that Interior Health would continue to work with the families on the wait-list in the meantime.
ORIGINAL
Highway 97 remains closed the morning after a massive fire at an under-construction long-term care facility in Penticton late on May 27.
Crews were called to the Green Avenue West construction site at 10:12 p.m., and by 10:22, the fire reached third-alarm status, with the flames visible as far as Okanagan Falls.
Multiple fire departments responded to the property, formerly the David Kampe estate, which broke ground on construction of a multi-story long-term care facility in November 2025.
According to a City of Penticton news release, the Naramata, Summerland, Kaleden and Penticton Indian Band fire departments provided mutual aid to the 48,000 square-foot structure under construction.
The highway, which is designated as Channel Parkway for the stretch along the Okanagan River Channel, was closed in both directions. Police officers stationed on the road turned drivers back, and DriveBC advised travellers to take alternate routes and to watch for traffic control.
The closure of the highway remained in effect as of Thursday morning, May 28, but had been partially opened to single-lane, alternating traffic. The City of Penticton advises motorists to continue to avoid the area if possible, and there is no timeline for when the highway will fully reopen.
A total of 60 firefighters responded, and crews remained on scene in the morning engaging in fire suppression efforts.
“This incident required a rapid, coordinated response, and crews acted quickly to limit further damage and protect surrounding homes,” said Mike Larsson, City of Penticton fire chief. “While significant progress has been made, there are still active fire areas on site. The unstable crane remains a key hazard and continues to affect suppression efforts. Our focus remains on maintaining safety for both residents and responders.”
The neighbourhood around the construction was also closed off during the night, with a road closure also taking effect at Brandon Avenue and Paris Street over to Green Avenue, behind the Penticton Walmart.
Four homes in the area sustained fire damage, with a further 12 that were evacuated and remain evacuated due to the unstable crane structure at the construction site.
Emergency Support Services for the city was activated to assist the residents, and anyone displaced who has not yet connected and requires ESS support may call 250-486-1890.
“Our thoughts are with the residents who have been impacted by this fire,” said Mayor Julius Bloomfield. “We are grateful for the professionalism and dedication of all responding crews and partner agencies. The safety of our community remains our top priority, and we will continue to support those affected as response efforts continue.”
FortisBC, RCMP and B.C. Emergency Health Services also responded.
Embers from the fire were visible reaching hundreds of metres into the air, and photos from those at the scene showed the fire at one point crossing Green Avenue.
According to the City’s news release, six spot fires were identified and contained after embers travelled several blocks away.
No injuries have so far been reported, and the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
With files from Logan Lockhart.
