On August 7, 2026, a wildfire sparked approximately 15 kilometers west of the District of Summerland and near the unincorporated community of Faulder within Electoral Area "F".  As of September 17, 2026, per the BC Wildfire Service, the size of the fire was mapped at approximately 25,163.2 hectares. The wildfire greatly affected the communities of Faulder and Meadow Valley, with 110 structures having been either damaged or destroyed as a result of the fire. 

Within the area affectd by the wildfire, approximately 124 parcels (representing approximately 1,170 ha of land; most of which being located within or in immediate vicinity to Faulder) are located within Environmentally Sensitive Development Permit (ESDP) Areas designated under the Electoral Area "F" Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw No. 2790, 2018. 

A number of other properties are designated as being within a Watercourse Development Permit (WDP) Area due to their proximity to watercourses including Darke Creek and Trout Creek, while all properties within the burn area have been zoned and are subject to regulations regarding principal and accessory buildings and structures.

Development Permit (ESDP & WDP) Requirements

In accordance with Section 489 of the Local Government Act, the Electoral Area OCP Bylaws set out that, unless otherwise exempt, a development permit is required for the following types of development of land within either an ESDP or WDP Area:

• subdivision;
• the construction of, addition to or alteration of a building or other structure; and,
• alteration of the land, including grading, removal or vegetation, deposit or moving of soil, paving, installation of drainage or underground services.

The ESDP & WDP application process requires property owners to contract and engage with a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) (i.e., a Registered Professional Biologist in BC (RPBio)) to draft an assessment that reviewes and establishes the environmental values on a property as pertains to their development proposal.

Where an ESDP or WDP is required, it must be issued prior to a building permit being able to be issued.

Zoning Regulations - Accessory Buildings or Structures

The Okanagan Valley Zoning Bylaw currrently prohibits the development of an accessory building or structure on a parcel unless:

• a principal building has already been erected on the same lot;
• a principal building will be erected simultaneously with the accessory building or structure on the same lot; or
• the accessory building or structure does not exceed 10.0 m² in area, one storey in building height, and is limited to one (1) per parcel.

To address the current situation within the Bald Range Wildfire burn area, the following amendments are being proposed to the Electoral Area OCP and Zoning bylaws:

Environmentally Sensitive Development Permit (ESDP) Area Designation

It is being proposed to amend Schedule 'I' (ESDP Areas Map) of the Electoral Area "F" OCP Bylaw by removing the ESDP Area designation from all parcels within the area of the Bald Range Wildfire.  If the amendment bylaw is adopted, development of properties currently designated as ESDP Area within the affected area of the Bald Range Wildfire in Electoral Area "F" would no longer be subject to the requirement to obtain an ESDP prior to the issuance of a building permit.

Watercourse Development Permit (WDP) Area Designation

It is being proposed that a new exemption be introduced in order to allow property owners to undertake the type of site remediation activities that are typically required to occur following a wildfire event.  More specifically, a WDP would not be required for:

the following activities, but only if carried out within 24 months of a declared wildfire event on a parcel where primary or accessory structures, or vegetation, were damaged or destroyed by the wildfire:

• the removal, containment, and disposal of burnt building materials, ash, and hazardous waste resulting from the wildfire;
• the removal of burnt, unstable, or hazard trees certified by a person who hold a Wildlife Danger Tree Assessor Certificate as presenting an imminent risk to human safety, remaining structures, or public infrastructure; and
• the placement of temporary surface erosion control measures to prevent sediment run-off into the watercourse.

NOTE: it is being proposed that this WDP Exemption be applied to all of the Electoral Area OCP Bylaws, with the exception of the Electoral Area "G" OCP Bylaw which does not have designated WDP Areas (e.g. Electoral Areas "A", "C", "D", "E", "F", "H" & "I") and not just to the Bald Range Wildfire Area in Electoral Area "F".

Zoning Regulations - Accessory Buildings and Structures

The Regional District is aware, following other wildfire events experienced around the province, that one of the challenges during rebuild is the restriction on accessory structures being constructed on parcels where the principal building (e.g. home) has been destroyed. 

To address this, it is being proposed the following temporary exemption be enacted in the Zoning Bylaw, so that an “accessory building or structure” can be placed on a parcel where:

the parcel is within the Bald Range Wildfire Area shown on Schedule '2' (Zoning Map) to this bylaw, and:

• a lawfully established principal building on the parcel was destroyed by wildfire before September 1, 2026;
• the accessory building or structure does not exceed 100.0 m² in floor area and there is only one accessory building or structure on the parcel; and,
• the accessory building or structure is authorized by a valid building permit issued before September 1, 2028.

planning@rdos.bc.ca