Bradley Creek wildfire destroys 230 homes in Okanagan Indian Band community near Vernon, B.C.

A fast-moving wildfire has devastated the Okanagan Indian Band reserve near Vernon, B.C., destroying approximately 230 homes, including 30 belonging to band members and 200 non-band homes on leased land. Driven by wind gusts of up to 115 km/h, the Bradley Creek fire grew rapidly to 2,852 hectares, forcing some residents to flee with just five minutes' notice. While aerial crews saved key infrastructure like a new immersion school, the community faces severe recovery hurdles, compounded by a lack of insurance options on reserve lands.

Bradley Creek wildfire destruction

• ▪The destruction on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve includes 30 homes of band members and approximately 200 non-band homes on leased land.
• ▪The Bradley Creek wildfire destroyed approximately 230 homes on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve near Vernon, British Columbia.

Rapid fire spread

• ▪The Bradley Creek wildfire was driven by wind gusts of up to 115 kilometers per hour, forcing some residents to evacuate with only five minutes of warning.
• ▪The Bradley Creek wildfire, which started late Friday on July 31, 2026, grew rapidly to cover 2,852 hectares northwest of Vernon.

Emergency evacuations

• ▪More than 1,400 evacuees from the Bradley Creek wildfire registered for emergency support services in the City of Vernon by the evening of August 4, 2026.
• ▪Approximately 8,000 people have been evacuated across British Columbia due to active wildfires, with 37 evacuation orders in place as of August 4, 2026.
• ▪The Regional District of North Okanagan expanded its evacuation order on August 4, 2026, due to the Bradley Creek and Quilpituk Creek wildfires blocking road escape routes.

Infrastructure protection efforts

• ▪Aerial firefighting crews saved critical infrastructure on the reserve, including a daycare center, a powwow arbour, and a newly built cultural immersion school, by dropping water on the area.
• ▪The BC Wildfire Service utilized helicopters equipped with night vision technology to conduct overnight aerial monitoring and structure protection along Westside Road and Irish Creek Road.

Canadian wildfire loss comparisons

• ▪The destruction of 230 homes ranks among Canada's worst recent wildfires, alongside a 2024 blaze in Jasper, Alberta, that destroyed 350 homes, and the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire that destroyed 200 homes.
• ▪The Bradley Creek wildfire is one of roughly 120 active wildfires burning across British Columbia, with approximately 50 of them classified as out of control.

Okanagan Indian Band impact

• ▪The Okanagan Indian Band issued a do-not-consume water notice for its community water systems due to wildfire damage to infrastructure.
• ▪Okanagan Indian Band reserve residents Louis and Shorty Fred lost their home off Westside and Skookum Mine Road, including generations of family heirlooms, and noted that insurance is unavailable on reserve lands.
• ▪The Okanagan Indian Band's emergency operations centre temporarily lost power, internet, and cell service when the Bradley Creek wildfire crossed Westside Road, dividing the reserve.