Tom Davison did not expect to use the firefighting equipment his son-in-law bought after a 2021 wildfire scorched their orchard near Vernon. He thought that blaze was a once-in-a-century event. Then, on Aug. 1, high winds drove flames to the fence line of Davison Orchards, a property his family has worked for five generations. His son and son-in-law stayed behind after evacuating staff, trained hoses on the fire and saved the orchard and a neighbour's home.
They are among a growing number of farmers and ranchers in British Columbia who remain in evacuation zones to defend livelihoods built over decades. The provincial Ministry of Agriculture reported 221 registered agricultural premises under evacuation order as of Thursday.
Animals and orchards anchor decisions to stay
At Sweet Pea Farms, also near Vernon, nine people including Kaylee Jameson refused to leave despite the order. They were protecting more than 100 animals, pigs, ducks, horses, dogs and cats, after roads closed before trailers could reach them. The farm burned in 2021. "They've been through this before," Jameson said. "This time they wanted to stay and fight for their house, fight for the farm, fight for the animals."
The Bradley Creek fire spread rapidly last week around Okanagan Lake, pushed by heavy winds across drought-parched land. The Quilpituk Creek wildfire burns to the south. Emergency officials have been blunt. The Central Okanagan emergency management centre told residents who remained in evacuation zones to "leave now," adding that an evacuation order "is not a suggestion. It is a life-safety measure."
Premier David Eby acknowledged the dilemma at a news conference Thursday. "I can't think of anything more difficult for a farmer than being faced with an evacuation notice while knowing that your animals are potentially in distress," he said, while stressing that protecting human life remains the top priority.
Relocation programs fall short for some livestock
A provincial program helps move animals to stockyards, feedlots, "buddy farms" and rodeo grounds. The ministry does not track total relocations but said animals from the Bradley Creek fire have been moved to other Interior communities. Kevin Boon, general manager of the BC Cattlemen's Association, said trucking cattle is highly stressful and some ranchers prefer to move herds over land to safer pastures. The association places liaisons with BC Wildfire Service incident commanders to identify ranches and cattle in a fire's path.
Longtime ranchers also provide firefighters with critical local knowledge, wind patterns in specific valleys, water sources, access roads. "Some of these old guys, I think that they were there since God himself, but they get to know which way the wind blows up a valley or through a certain area," Boon said. Most maintain their own excavators, water trucks and cleared firebreaks. They monitor fire behaviour closely and leave when the risk becomes untenable. "For the most part, 99.9 per cent of them are gonna leave well in front of that fire," he said.
Adrian Arts, executive director of the BC Fruit Growers' Association, said the organization supports a farmer's right to protect property when it does not endanger others. The economic stakes are immense. Gala apple harvest is approaching. A burned orchard requires seven years before new trees bear fruit, with a return on investment of 15 to 20 years. An orchard's productive lifespan is 20 to 30 years. Cherry growers, mid-harvest, have only days to pick before fruit spoils. Others missed spray windows for insect protection. The full agricultural impact remains unknown.
At Sweet Pea Farms, sprinklers and brush clearing kept flames at bay, but the evacuation order remains. Jameson, who works for the nearby Okanagan Indian Band, said the band's chief estimates 230 homes were lost. "Seeing my community burn and seeing homes of people I care about, including my clients, go up in flames have been very heartbreaking," she said.
Arts said the bond between farmers and land is difficult for outsiders to grasp. "When it seems like staying behind is irrational, it's really not. You put everything into it, that really is a part of you. And then you see these wildfires coming up and it's crushing. It's losing a part of you."
Based on reporting by Global News.