Summerland farmer was 12 hours away from harvesting crop when wildfire sparked

A Summerland farmer suffered the devastation of a wildfire that sparked just 12 hours before a scheduled crop harvest in the Okanagan region.

This agricultural loss follows a series of severe climate-related challenges in the area, including a 2021 heat dome and a damaging 2024 cold snap.

These compounding weather events and crop failures ultimately contributed to the recent closure of the B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative.